C11 Food Product Manufacturing

State government moots ban on sale of raw milk

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Original article by Beau Donelly, Kate Hagan, Marissa Caligeros
The Age – Page: 8 : 12-Dec-14

A three-year old child died and four young children became seriously ill after drinking unpasteurised cow’s milk. Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Rosemary Lester, warned that raw milk is not fit for human consumption. It is being sold as bath milk but consumers rarely buy it for this purpose and most of them drink it. Better labelling or even a ban may be necessary

CORPORATES
UPPER GULLY ORGANICS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, UNITED STATES. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF JUSTICE. CONSUMER AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS VICTORIA

Rinehart to milk China’s dairy fix

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Original article by Rick Wallace
The Australian – Page: 9 : 14-Nov-14

The new Hope Dairies joint venture is being launched by government enterprise China National Machinery Industry Corporation and Hancock Prospecting, the main vehicle of Australian mining heiress Gina Rinehart. The $A500m business will seek to cash in on the recently negotiated free trade agreement between Australia and China, by exporting powdered infant formula. Rinehart has also diversified from iron ore into beef cattle, with investments in Western Australia

CORPORATES
HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, HOPE DAIRIES PTY LTD, CHINA NATIONAL MACHINERY INDUSTRY CORPORATION, CUBBIE STATION, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, BEIJING AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT FUND

George Weston Foods hungry for acquisitions

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 11-Nov-14

George Weston Foods boasts a 34 per cent share of Australia’s packaged bread market, and CEO Andrew Reeves says it aims to topple market leader Goodman Fielder. George Weston has ramped up its marketing activities in the last several years and reduced its production and distribution costs. Reeves says the group will consider growth options such as joint ventures or acquisitions in sector such as specialty and artisan breads

CORPORATES
GEORGE WESTON FOODS LIMITED, ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS PLC, GOODMAN FIELDER LIMITED – ASX GFF, WILMAR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, FIRST PACIFIC COMPANY LIMITED, TIP TOP BAKERIES, PRIMARK STORES LIMITED, AB MAURI, LION PTY LTD, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL

Great wagyu debate put to the taste test

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Original article by Sue Neales
The Australian – Page: 5 : 23-Oct-14

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) will conduct an investigation into whether consumers are potentially being misled by the labelling of beef as coming from wagyu cattle. The main issue is whether only full-blood animals should qualify for this descriptor. The Australian Wagyu Association and breeder David Blackmore welcome the move by the ACCC, which has previously looked into claims about free-range eggs and extra virgin olive oil

CORPORATES
BLACKMORE WAGYU BEEF PTY LTD, BLACKMORE GENETICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN WAGYU ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Leverage from two-tier wages

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 17-Oct-14

The new enterprise agreements for warehouse staff at Coca-Cola Amatil and Woolworths provide for new employees to be paid lower wages than existing staff. The new agreement for staff at Woolworths’ distribution facility in Brisbane includes a four per cent pay rise for current employees, higher annual leave loadings and an increase in loadings for shift workers

CORPORATES
COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, HOLDING REDLICH, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE

Darrell Lea’s sugar rush

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Original article by Su-Lin Tan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 24-Sep-14

VIP Petfoods GM Rex Devantier says the Darrell Lea confectionery business is now cash-flow positive and trading on a double-digit multiple. VIP Petfoods bought the company from administrators in 2012, and it has since slashed Darrell Lea’s staff numbers and secured deals to distribute its products via supermarket chains. Devantier notes that Darrell Lea has also launched a range of new products

CORPORATES
DARRELL LEA CHOCOLATE SHOPS PTY LTD, VIP PET FOODS

When it comes to the crunch, Freedom Foods plans to evolve

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Original article by Jared Lynch
The Age – Page: 25 : 15-Sep-14

Australian-listed Freedom Foods is facing growing competition in the market for allergen-free food products. Freedom’s food technologist David Kokke says the group intends to keep improving the taste and nutritional value of its product range, and stresses the importance of innovation and brand reinvention. The company’s shares have risen by 300 per cent in the last two years

CORPORATES
FREEDOM FOODS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FNP, NESTLE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY, BRIGHT FOOD GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, PACTUM DAIRY GROUP PTY LTD, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Goodman loss unlikely to derail Wilmar bid

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Original article by Blair Speedy
The Australian – Page: 19 : 14-Aug-14

Goodman Fielder has announced a 2013-14 full-year loss of $A405m, due to provisioning worth $A358m in the baked products and grocery units that brings the total writedowns since 2010-11 to $A1.2bn. However experts do not see the result as likely to influence Singapore-based takeover suitor Wilmar and partner First Pacific, which are offering $A0.675 a share for the Australian-listed company. The initial bid had been $A0.65, and was sweetened to $A0.70 to gain access for due diligence before being cut back again. On 13 August 2014 the stock closed $A0.01 lower at $A0.63

CORPORATES
GOODMAN FIELDER LIMITED – ASX GFF, WILMAR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, FIRST PACIFIC COMPANY LIMITED

Junk food classified healthy and then advertised on TV

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Original article by Harriet Alexander
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 3 : 7-Aug-14

Australian Communications & Media Authority rules ban companies from advertising unhealthy food during children’s TV programs in certain time slots. However new Cancer Council New South Wales data show that under the self-classification of food products by signatories to the voluntary Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative, many snack items are simply treated as if they were healthy. If applying the Food Standards Australia New Zealand nutrient profiling, close to two thirds of all advertisements are in fact for unhealthy foods

CORPORATES
FOOD STANDARDS AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND BOARD, CANCER COUNCIL OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

Kennett to steer Coles supplier charter

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 20 : 7-Aug-14

John Durkan, CEO of dominant supermarkets chain Coles, has announced a new charter to safeguard the interests of its suppliers. The initiative is in addition to the ongoing talks by Coles, rival Woolworths and the Australian Food & Grocery Council on a code of conduct for the sector, which have entered a consultation period to last until the end of August 2014. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission had accused Coles of forcing small food manufacturers into contributing $A16m to the cost of a supply chain overhaul. The new charter will be overseen by ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA