Canada-based Saputo Group, which is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, has made a recommended all cash offer of £975 million to acquire Dairy Crest, the UK dairy business. The acquisition will allow Saputo Group to increase its international presence and enter the UK market by acquiring and investing in a…

Danone has reported a 0.7% decline in revenue to €24.66 billion with operating income down 26.5% to €2.74 billion for 2018. However, on a ‘like-for-like New Danone’ basis consolidated sales rose by 2.9% with a 3.6% growth in value, led by a continued mix and portfolio valorization, largely offsetting a 0.7% decline in volumes. All…

Coca-Cola European Partners, the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler, will invest over €500 million in 2019, as part of an ongoing multi-year €1.5 billion investment programme. The programme focuses on delivering more for customers by investing in new technology, supply chain capabilities and coolers.

Damian Gammell, chief executive of Coca-Cola European Partners, says: “We’re investing in key…

Nestlé has reported a 2.1% increase in sales to SFr91.4 billion (€80.6 billion) for 2018 with organic growth of 3% and group RIG of 2.5%, which was at the high end of the food and beverage industry, helped by faster innovation and successful new product launches. 2018 organic growth was supported by stronger momentum in…

PepsiCo has reported a 2% increase in net net revenue to $64.66 billion and a 2% drop in operating profit to $10.11 billion for 2018. However, organic revenue, which excludes the impacts of foreign exchange translation, acquisitions, divestitures, structural and other changes, grew 4% and and core constant currency operating profit increased 2%.

Commodity mark-to-market net…

After a difficult first quarter, Arla Foods came out of 2018 with improved sales and brand share as the international dairy co-operative’s performance grew stronger throughout the year. The transformation programme Calcium delivered cost-savings far beyond targets for the year and thanks to a historically strong balance sheet the board of directors has proposed to…

Kerry Group, the global taste, nutrition and consumer foods business, has reported a 3.1% increase in revenue to €6.6 billion for the year ended 31 December 2018, reflecting strong volume growth and contribution from acquisitions, partially offset by adverse currency movements. Business volumes grew by 3.5% and pricing decreased by 0.5% against a backdrop of…

The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that British gin sales abroad, in 2018, were worth £612 million – up 15% on the previous year. In 2016 export sales of the juniper-based spirit broke the half a billion-pound mark for the first time and since then the popularity of British gin has seen…

Dublin Liberties Distillery has become the 22nd operational Irish whiskey distillery on the island of Ireland. The new €10 million distillery located in Dublin’s Liberties has commenced Irish whiskey distillation and has also opened the doors on a distillery visitor centre, which can accommodate up to 80,000 visitors annually. It marks the fourth Irish whiskey…

Heineken achieved organic net revenue growth of 6.1% to €22.471 billion in 2018, with a 4.0% increase in total consolidated volume and a 2.0% increase in revenue (beia) per hectolitre. Operating profit (beia) rose organically by 6.4% to €3.868 billion but the operating profit margin (beia) slipped by 17 bps to 17.2%. Net profit for…

Many new and exciting products are set to launch during the 21st International Food & Drink Event [IFE] 2019, taking place at ExCeL London on 17-20 March. From next generation water to vegan friendly snacks and the latest product launches featuring global influences, the biennial event is a must-attend for buyers and suppliers looking to explore a…

Vitafoods Europe 2019 (7-9 May, Palexpo, Geneva) will this year explore the collaboration required to shape a more sustainable future for the nutraceutical industry. This follows the growing popularity of plant-based ingredients, as well as the demand for more responsible farming methods, and the unprecedented backlash against packaging over recent years.

Premier Foods has decided not to proceed with the potential disposal of its Ambrosia brand. A number of parties expressed interest in the business, and since the New Year Premier Foods has been engaged in detailed discussions with a small group of potential buyers. However, the Premier borad has concluded that in the present business…

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Gleadell Agriculture by ADM Arkady, both based in the UK. Gleadell is a supplier and exporter of various grain and oilseed products. ADM is part of the Archer Daniels Midland group of companies and is a processor of a…

One of Denmark’s leading food manufacturers is increasing its efficiency by installing an AmbaFlex AccuVeyor® AVX Dynamic accumulation system. This overcomes any slowdowns at the downstream packer as the AccuVeyor® can accumulate several minutes of frozen ready meal trays from the spiral freezer. The freezer can keep running without causing any slowdowns, while the packer…

Confectionery manufacturers can now rely on a new machine series from Gerhard Schubert for simple, frequently sought-after packaging tasks. The Schubert lightline offers cost-effective and highly efficient solutions for elementary everyday packaging assignments. The compact lightline machine types cover the entire range of most common packaging requirements. They automate a wide variety of standard packaging…