Financial

30-Jul-2010 - As Danone’s share price continues to fall three days after its half year results were released, the company cites several potential reasons for the dip but insists that health claims uncertainty is not among them.

Danone backs probiotic juice with ProViva investment

29-Jul-2010 - Global probiotics leader Danone has paid an undisclosed sum to Swedish dairy Skånemejerier for a 51 per cent stake in its probiotic juice brand, ProViva.

Rachel's sold to French dairy giant

28-Jul-2010 - Welsh dairy company Rachel’s has been sold to French dairy firm Groupe Lactalis.

Danone remains cautious despite strong sales growth

27-Jul-2010 - Despite reporting a 6.9 per cent increase in organics sales in its Q2 results, Danone remains cautious in its outlook for the rest of the year.

PAI Partners considers sale of Yoplait stake

23-Jul-2010 - The private equity owner of Yoplait is considering selling its 50 per cent share in the French dairy company, according to newswire reports.

Uniq "still viable" despite £436m pension deficit

22-Jul-2010 - Uniq is still a viable business despite the £400m+ hole in its pension fund, and it is “still plausible” that a solution will be found to enable it to trade its way out of trouble, analysts have claimed.

News in brief

Dairy Crest Q1 trading boosted by ‘milk in bag’ success

20-Jul-2010 - Dairy Crest's first quarter figures are “in line with expectations”, with sales boosted by the success of new patented milk bags that Tesco is now trialling.

Glanbia buoyed by global dairy market recovery

16-Jul-2010 - Irish dairy giant Glanbia is predicting “very strong” first half of 2010 results, as its dairy ingredients business returns to profitability and the global dairy market recovers from the slump of 2009.

All bids for SMP intervention stocks rejected again

09-Jul-2010 - EU farming lobby Copa-Cogeca has called on the Commission to exercise caution in managing EU dairy stocks, as the struggle to sell off intervention stocks continues.

Fonterra reports sharp dip in dairy prices

07-Jul-2010 - Fonterra has revealed that prices were down sharply at its latest auction, as concerns about supply, which had fueled recent price increases, eased.

National Foods to close two Australian dairy factories

29-Jun-2010 - National Foods is closing two dairy factories in Australia as part of a consolidation plan that will result in 280 redundancies.

Comment

Where next for ingredients since Cognis and National Starch?

28-Jun-2010 - ‘Billion dollar deal’ was not a phrase bandied about the food ingredients industry much last year. With BASF buying Cognis for €3.1bn and Corn Products International paying $1.3bn for National Starch, M&A looks to be thawing – but best not get over-excited just yet.

Fonterra’s new deal for Australian dairy producers

28-Jun-2010 - More money for dairy producers, paid earlier in the season to ease cash flow problems are the aims behind a new incentive payment from Fonterra Australia.

Dairy price pressures to ease up end of 2010, Rabobank

25-Jun-2010 - As supply increases from producers in the Southern hemisphere and demand growth slows the currently high global dairy prices are expected to ease somewhat, according to market analysts.

Top German dairy producer plans merger

24-Jun-2010 - Directors of Germany’s largest dairy company, Nordmilch, and Humana MilchIndustrie have proposed a merger to aid survival in a competitive international market.

Danone and Unimilk sign Russian merger deal

18-Jun-2010 - Danone and Unimilk have agreed to merge their Russian and CIS dairy businesses to create a new entity with annual sales of about €1.5bn.

UK dairy farmers welcome Sainsbury’s new dairy welfare scheme

01-Jun-2010 - British dairy farmers have welcomed a new “unique,” animal welfare standard launched by retail giant Sainsbury’s shortly after a new Mintel report identified welfare issues as consumers’ top food concern.

News in brief

FrieslandCampina to do all R&D in Wageningen

24-May-2010 - FrieslandCampina is planning to pool its research and development activities in the Netherlands around one central hub.

Comment

Realistic prices needed for European food stability and to safeguard society

24-May-2010 - Please: A big round of applause for Jozsef Kapuvári. Who? You might well ask. Kapuvári is the author of an EU report that highlights the importance of realistic food prices – not just to underpin the food supply chain but to maintain the fabric of European society.

Comment

Biodegradable alternative or a levy - gum makers should chew on that

10-May-2010 - It’s a sticky issue that just won’t go away. There are sugar-free, tooth whitening and nicotine added versions but none from leading makers, as yet, that are dissolvable in rain.