Unilever chief executive officer Paul Polman changed his company's business focus from satisfying shareholders' demand for short-term profits into a strategy that puts emphasis on longer-term results. Polman said he requires marketing agencies to be "performance-driven," basing their fees and earnings on how well Unilever performs overall. Unilever's CEO also said that in marketing, a company needs to determine what the brand stands for and what its message is before looking at which media — TV or digital media — to use. Polman said marketers need to exert more efforts to really know consumers and their real-life situation.

Unilever Zimbabwe said it will comply with the country's indigenization and local empowerment law, becoming one of the manufacturers to do so since 2007 when the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act was passed by the national legislature. The law requires all foreign-owned companies with business operations in Zimbabwe to divest at least 51 percent of their shares to Zimbabweans. Unilever said its compliance with Zimbabwe's law is part of its global policy of following the policies and regulations of countries where it does business. 

Korean consumers' fast-changing tastes and preferences are causing multinational manufacturers of consumer packaged goods to struggle against local competitors. For example, Nestlé entered South Korea's coffee mix market in the 1980s with its Taster's Choice brand of instant coffee; the Swiss conglomerate held on to the number 2 spot for 30 years, but fell to third place in January 2012. Procter & Gamble, for its part, used to hold 50 percent of the sanitary napkin market in 1995, courtesy of its Whisper brand. It lost the number 1 ranking to local rival Yuhan Kimberly's White brand, and sank further to number 3 in 2010.

Eating oily fish at least twice a week offers substantial benefits for the cardiovascular system, according to research studies presented at a recent European medical meeting. Oily fish – salmon, mackerel, herring, trout and sardines –  are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be anti-inflammatory (reducing the risk of atherosclerosis) and anti-arrhythmic, reducing the risk of heart attack. Researchers reported that fish oil supplements – especially pharmaceutical grade formulas – can also provide cardiovascular benefits, especially for people who do not like eating fish. 

Unilever chief operating officer Harish Manwani said his company intends to lead in market development, make the most of its capabilities, and speed up its go-to-market time in order to overcome slowdown in some emerging markets. Manwani said Unilever can sustain growth levels it recorded in the first quarter of 2012, because the company has invested in enhancing organizational capabilities and innovations. Also, domestic consumption in emerging markets, which accounted for 56 percent of Unilever's €46.5 billion turnover in the first quarter, is large enough to compensate for slowdown in some of the markets.

In a finding that could lead to new treatments for raw and processed meats and food preparation surfaces, U.S. researchers show that the garlic compound diallyl sulfide is 100 times more effective than two current antibiotics at fighting the most common bacterial cause of intestinal illness globally. Most infections stem from eating raw or undercooked poultry or foods that have been cross-contaminated with Campylobacter jejuni bacteria via surfaces or utensils used to prepare poultry. The bacteria can cause diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever. It is also responsible for nearly a third of the cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare paralyzing disorder.

Unilever released its first-year progress report regarding its Sustainable Living Plan objectives. The report shows that sustainably sourced agricultural materials increased from 14 percent in 2010 to 24 percent in 2011, with its two major raw materials leading the way — 64 percent of palm oil and 60 percent of paper and board coming from sustainable sources. Also, Unilever's most popular spreads now have less than one-third saturated fat, while renewable energy accounts for 20 percent of the company's total energy consumption. Unilever, however, was less successful with targets that involve consumer behavior change.

Higher intake of foods rich in resistant starch, such as beans and other legumes, corn, lentils, and peas, can lower the risk of developing bowel cancer, according to research by Australia's CSIRO Food Futures Flagship. This kind of diet can help address the "Australian paradox," a term that nutritionist David Topping uses to refer to the fact that bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in the country despite Australians' consumption of more dietary fiber than by people in other Western countries.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the ancient grain millet -- used mainly these days as feed for birds, poultry and cattle -- is making a comeback as a human food, thanks to research confirming that the gluten-free grain is rich in vitamins and offers cholesterol-lowering benefits. Easy to prepare as a main or side dish, millet can be used in casseroles, breads, stews and soups.

Health-conscious consumers have not missed the news that cereal brand Kashi, which is marketed as all-natural and healthy, actually contains genetically modified soy. And some samples tested positive for carcinogenic pesticides. Some natural foods stores have removed Kashi products from their shelves, and Kashi’s Facebook page has been bombarded with criticism and comments from angry and disappointed consumers. Kashi said it is working with the North America’s Non-GMO Project to get more of its products – currently there are seven – certified as non-GMO.

Online grocery retailers, such as Bigbasket.com and Mygrahak.com, are using technology to expand their business and their shares of India's food and grocery market estimated to be $343 billion in value. Online retailers use supply-chain management technology that allows online consumers to purchase items using "multiple channels;" they also use applications that allow them to forecast customer behavior, which lets them maintain low inventory levels and cut operating costs.

Cargill and Horizon Milling will display some healthier food prototypes at a Canadian Bakery Showcase in the first week of May in Toronto. Company representatives will also be on hand to discuss the wheat market and “solutions available to manage commodity driven risk”. Prototype foods on display will include: a lower sodium chocolate cookie made with the SaltWise sodium reduction system, a breakfast cookie made with Iliggo-Fiber inulin fiber, and a shelf stable vanilla cookie made with an omega-3 shortening. Products with cleaner labels will also be featured, including unfrosted layer cakes made with a cake base that used no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

A company with the cheeky, attention-grabbing name Holy Crap has developed a healthy cereal based on organic chia seeds and other nutritious ingredients. Because of chia’s ability to absorb liquids and expand in volume, two tablespoons of the cereal – which also contains hulled hemp hearts, organic buckwheat, organic cranberries, etc. – mixed with milk are very filling. According to food writer Doug Cook, Holy Crap cereal is kosher, all-natural, vegan, and gluten-, lactose-, salt-, wheat-, and nut-free. Chia and hemp seeds are low in sugar and rich in protein, omega-6 and plant-based omega-3 fats, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and thiamine (vitamin B1). However, Cook advises that the cereal could be made easily and cheaply at home.

A U.S. study that compared the cost of obtaining key nutrients from various sources found that canned foods are almost always more affordable and convenient. The “market-basket” study took into account not only nutrients, but also price, waste and preparation time of canned, fresh, frozen and dried varieties of some common foods. Canned foods almost always were the cheaper source. For example, when preparation time of pinto beans is taken into account, the canned variety costs $1 less per serving than dried beans, because of the time it takes to soak and cook the beans before serving.

Postsecondary culinary arts students in Saskatchewan who created a tasty pasta formula made with locally-grown pulses won first prize in a regional food product development contest. The judges said the pasta – made with lentils, peas, chickpeas and beans – was not only gluten-free but tasted delicious. For the contest, students were challenged to come up with food products using whole pulses, pulse flours or pulse fractions. Other ideas competing in the contest included hummus made with lentil and bean flour and a bakery mix based on pulses.

Researchers in New Mexico are developing a technology to economically extract oil and process flour from pecans, but it will be awhile before any commercial products reach the market. The current way to process pecans produces oil but also a fatty meal that is not shelf-stable. The new propane-based process extracts oil that does not have to be filtered, and leaves behind a de-fatted, gluten-free flour that will not turn rancid. Consumers taste-tested the oil against olive oil, and sampled cookies and breads made from pecan flour, and were pleased with the results. Unfortunately, the initial investment in a processing facility is prohibitive. And pecan growers lack an economic incentive: they are already making a lot of money just selling pecans.

U.S. researchers have discovered “hyper-virulent” Salmonella bacteria that can override vaccines and could pose a severe risk to food safety. The newly discovered bacterial are as much as 100 times more capable of causing foodborne illnesses. According to the researchers, the bacteria act like a “Trojan Horse,” looking a lot like their less virulent relatives but proving to be deadlier when causing disease. The scientists now know what to look for and are developing ways to tell them from their less-virulent cousins. So far they have been able to force the bacteria to reveal their weapons in the laboratory, and that’s a first step toward combating them.

The baking and selling of breads in Chicago restaurants – offered in various shapes and sizes with tasty exotic and ethnic ingredients – has caught the attention of bread lovers and perhaps heralds  a new direction for bread marketing. The dining editor of the Chicago Sun-Times Magazine describes a handful of the restaurants and their offerings: Balena, for example, sells a $5 breadbasket with four kinds of homemade breads, as well as  spreads such as garlicky bagna cauda. She also passes along some tips from experienced bakers on how to pull off the sometimes “intimidating” task of bread baking at home.

Convenience and speed are more important than cost to today’s busy breakfast buyers, according to reports from market researchers. NPD Group says those are the key factors driving the growth of the breakfast boom among fast food outlets, where 80 percent of morning meals are purchased. The hook for fast food breakfast buyers seems to be the quality of the morning coffee: researcher Technomic says a full third of coffee-drinking consumers remain loyal to the brand or the restaurant for that reason. Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, and even Chick-fil-A have all bolstered their breakfast menus to ride the convenience-at-any-price wave.

Cupcakes are proving to be more than a flash in the pan, according to sales data reported by Nielsen Perishables Group, and in fact continue to gain momentum, more so in in-store bakeries than in retail bakeries. Growth in cupcake item counts was 17 percent in 2011, driven by supermarket bakeries that released 70 new red velvet products. Red velvet cupcake sales were up 131 percent in 2011. According to Nielsen, bakery consumers are intrigued by new flavor combinations, decorating styles and ethnic influences. New trends in baked goods typically start with boutiques and urban independent bakeries – especially on the East and West Coasts – before reaching mainstream supermarkets and chains.

Wedding cakes continue to be big business, but today’s “completely different” brides seem to be looking for alternatives to traditionally designed and flavored white cakes, according to a survey of retail bakeries by Modern Baking. Brides are turning to brighter colors, new designs that may link elements of the wedding dress to the cake; greater use of fondant as an alternative to buttercream; “bling” (crystal ribbons or crystal brooches); monograms; ribbon banding around the tiers; and even cupcakes decorated with flowers in lieu of an expensive cake.

Data gathered by the Nielsen Perishables Group for late January 2012 show that muffin sales have grown 14 percent in U.S. in-store bakery departments since 2007. More than half of the category’s dollar share (53.1 percent) comes from regular muffins. Gourmet/jumbo muffins accounted for 31.9 percent of sales, mini muffins 13.8 percent and muffin tops/crowns 1.1 percent. Sales faltered during the holiday season of 2011, mainly due to bake-at-home and leftover holiday treats. The highest average sales occurred during September/October, due to back-to-school promotions.

Food writer Joy Manning reports that baking crackers at home is not only easy, it saves money and is a feel-good project that will impress friends. But the article, based on interviews with cookbook author Alana Chernila, also uncovers a deeper trend: making homemade versions of familiar commercial snacks, such as Wheat Thins and Cheez-its. She began baking her snacks as a way to economize, but found her family liked her versions better and they had several advantages: no artificial coloring, preservatives, or high-fructose corn syrup. She also makes yogurt with real fruit and serves it up in reusable glass jars.

The U.K. makers of Weetabix breakfast cereals have learned over the years to adapt their marketing strategies to meet the conditions of individual countries and cultures. In Kenya, for example – where Wheetabix has a lock on 70 percent of the cereals market – the company employs a bicycle riding sales force that delivers small packets of two palm-sized biscuits to little shops in the countryside. In Mexico, shoppers are more likely to buy large boxes containing 48 biscuits. Because many cultures are unfamiliar with cereal-and-milk in a bowl breakfast, the strategy for entering a new market involves consumer education: what the brand stands for and how to consume it.

Baking writer Annie Overboe decided to test whether a fiber-rich whole wheat flour would work well in a baked dessert. Her experiments with King Arthur unbleached white whole wheat flour – milled from white wheat kernels and available to home bakers – proved to be a success. Substituting white whole wheat for half of the all-purpose flour in the recipe, she baked ripe banana cake and shared it with friends. No one detected the  whole wheat flour in the dessert, which was served without frosting, glaze or sugar dusting. Her conclusion? “Whole wheat flour is not just for bread anymore.”

A report from Global Industry Analytics finds that a growing consumer preference for conveniently portioned, easy-to-eat bakery products will push the global bakery products to $447 billion this year. Donuts, specialty breads, pizza and gourmet baked goods are among the hottest products. The new trend in eating patterns is driven by lifestyle and economic factors. Consumers are busier than ever and have more disposable income. That has led to an increased demand for snacks like pita sandwiches and wraps, and products that are re-sealable, single portion and mini sizes. Also presenting opportunities to bakery products makers: a lucrative teen market and an increase in individuals older than 60.

Breakfast and snack bars need to provide more than hunger relief, industry experts say. They have to provide nutritional benefits, great taste and portability. These days, consumers of food bars are looking for gluten-free and organic options, low sugar content, and fiber. Other food bar merchandising and marketing trends? Unbaked “raw” bars whose enzyme content is intact, boxes of bars rather than individually wrapped bars, reclosable packaging, placement of bars alongside milk or juice in grocery stores to offer a breakfast solution, one-for-one marketing, and social media marketing.

One of the biggest trends affecting food and drink companies in the U.S. and Europe is clean ingredient labeling, even though a precise or official definition of the term doesn’t exist. To some experts, a clean label is one that's easy for consumers to understand: no technical jargon, no vague, unpronounceable ingredient names. Others say a clean label means there are no preservatives, artificial ingredients or anything suggesting extra processing. Or it means there is no MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed vegetable protein or hydrogenated oils. But whatever the term means, it is important for food companies to remember that more and more consumers these days are paying very close attention to what the label says.

A dietary supplement industry trade group has issued a statement disputing the findings of a recent study that said there wasn’t enough evidence that omega-3 fatty acid supplements improve cardiovascular health in heart patients. The Natural Products Association (NPA) pointed to a “wealth of evidence” from epidemiological and observational studies showing that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for heart disease. According to the NPA, two studies in particular – the GISSI-Prevenzione trial and the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention study – showed that omega-3 supplements reduced the risk of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and nonfatal stroke.

Food marketers are benefiting from social media in a way they might not have anticipated, show biz trade paper Variety reports. Companies are now able to speed up promotional tie-ins with entertainment events, celebrities, movies and TV shows, thanks to Twitter and Facebook. A recent example involved WWE wrestler John Cena, who was taunted for weeks by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – he called Cena “Fruity Pebbles” because of his multi-colored costume. The insult caught on with fans and became a marketing opportunity for Post Foods, which put Cena’s picture on three million Fruit Pebbles cereal boxes.

New Spanish research finds that people whose diet includes a lot of diet-busting fast food are more likely to be clinically depressed. The population study involved 9,000 adults. People who ate the most fast foods – burgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc. – were 36 percent more likely to develop clinical depression compared to those who ate the least amount. Likewise, those who ate the most commercial baked goods – cookies, cakes and desserts – were 38 percent more likely to develop depression. According to the researchers, no studies prove eating specific foods, like doughnuts or Little Debbie's, causes depression. It’s possible, they suggested, that people prone to becoming depressed are more likely to seek comfort through unhealthy foods.

Natural products company ChromaDex Corp. was awarded a U.S. patent for the  proprietary antioxidant polyphenol pterostilbene, an ingredient in its nutraceutical product line. According to the company, pterostilbene has shown “great promise” for supporting cardiovascular health, cognitive function and anti-aging. The patent covers several claims for pterostilbene, including the lowering of fat levels in the blood and either treating or reducing the risk of dyslipidemias (high blood cholesterol). The company’s proprietary pterostilbene brand (pTeroPure) is a key ingredient in BluScience, ChromaDex's line of dietary supplements.

A growing number of first-time dads – those whose oldest child is no older than two – actively use social networks to share updates (42 percent), photos (56 percent) and videos (21 percent) with friends, according to a survey. The survey also found that millennial dads have more online friends than millennial moms: an average of 96 as opposed to 70. The findings correlate with a deeper trend: with about 17 percent of fathers these days at home, dads increasingly view themselves as partners with moms, sharing household responsibilities like nurturing, cooking and  food shopping. And dads are catching up to moms in another area: a study done a year ago found that 25 percent who use social networks follow a brand.

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are tweaking their coupon marketing programs to get the most value from promotions. But the changes being tested – faster expirations, multiple item requirements – don’t appear to be deterring price-conscious shoppers looking for deals. They redeemed $4.6 billion in coupons in 2011, a 12 percent increase from 2010. One researcher found that CPG companies distributed 8.1 percent fewer coupons in 2011, with the decline coming mainly in grocery products. On the other hand, there was an increase in discount offers for health and beauty products, including hair care, eye care and cosmetics.

The high-end Southern California bakery known as Let Them Eat Cake may be successfully bucking current consumer trends in breakfast eating. Though it specializes in premium wedding cakes, the store also offers fairly decadent breakfasts that don’t seem to be targeted at busy breakfast buyers looking for quick, convenient, healthy morning meals. Instead, the bakery’s menu includes a sumptuous selection of scones, muffins and sandwiches that scarcely qualify as healthy. The breakfast sandwich, for example, consists of a big cake-like buttermilk biscuit packed with eggs, pepper jack cheese, and a choice of Canadian or regular  bacon. “The sweet, moist biscuit is almost indistinguishable from cake, making the sandwich truly decadent,” says food writer Claudia Koerner.

Regional tastes and preferences are a major consideration in fast food marketing, especially when it comes to breakfasts. McDonalds, for example, discovered that New Englanders aren’t as interested in sausage-and-egg sandwiches for breakfast as they are in simple bakery items. According to a Boston region marketing manager, the company’s breakfast menus in New England, which extends westward to Albany, N.Y., uniquely feature five all-natural bakery items. Usually packaged with a choice of specialty coffees, they are blueberry muffins,  banana bread, multigrain berry muffins, cheese croissants, and vanilla scones.

Food industry analysts IGD report that the Chinese grocery sector is now the world leader at $970 billion, pushing the U.S. market ($913.5 billion) into the No. 2 spot for the first time. The grocery spending gap is likely to widen even more by 2015. The growth will occur despite a significant slowdown in China’s economy as the country’s diet moves beyond rice and pork to include dairy products, wheat, grains, and white and red meats. Increased demand for these products in China has led to price hikes around the globe. IGD also expects that Brazil, Russia, India, and China (the BRIC countries) will comprise four of the top five grocery markets in the world by 2015.

Packaged Facts reports that food bars – including cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars – have been posting double-digit sales growth rates in both mass market and natural food channels. Retail sales in the U.S. reached $5.7 billion in 2011, thanks to more sophisticated marketing and innovation in formulations and formats. Food trends driving the success of food bars include a blurring of meals and snacks, an emphasis on portion control, and “increasingly informal, spur-of-the-moment, and customized eating,” according to the market researcher. A key market trend is the decreased distinction between cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars.

Already the top retail bagel purveyor in the U.S., Dunkin’ Donuts has reformulated its bagel recipe and unveiled what it calls Artisan Bagels with a soft, chewy texture and bolder flavors. The new line features all of the company’s classic bagel selections – sesame, poppy seed, cinnamon raisin, etc. – and two new seasonal flavor varieties, sun-dried tomato and pumpernickel. The company also unveiled a reduced-fat artichoke spinach cream cheese. Dunkin’ Donuts says the new line of bagels offer a “more authentic bagel taste and texture” as well as more intense flavors.

Slate Magazine traces the history of Japan’s century-long transformation from a rice-based to a wheat-based diet, focusing especially on America’s impact on the process. The change has been so complete that in the last four decades, the Japanese have increasingly included wheat-based foods such as bread, pasta, pizza and noodles in their diet. In the meantime, rice consumption has dropped by half. But a turnaround may be in the offing, signaled perhaps by the increasing popularity of a bread making machine that produces fresh loaves from raw, whole grains of rice. According to Slate, only 10 months after release of the Gopan machine in 2010, it has sold more than 160,000 units and has spurred a rage for packaged rice-based noodles, cakes, pastries, and pasta. Another indicator of the rekindled interest in rice: Japanese Pizza Hut outlets are using rice flour in their pizza dough.

PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk's reported a 19-percent rise in sales from Rp 19.69 trillion in 2010 to Rp 23.47 trillion in 2011, and a 25-percent jump in exports from Rp 825.75 billion to Rp 1.04 trillion during the same period. Unilever is forecast to have similar growth rates for next year unless the government increased fuel prices, a market analyst said. The rise boosted net profits by 23 percent. 

Consumers who want to increase their daily intake of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids might someday be able to eat fish oil-supplemented yogurt, according to a U.S. study. Scientists tested different levels of fish oil in a savory chili and lime flavored yogurt. A one percent concentration of fish oil – which provides more than the daily amount suggested by the American Heart Association – would probably be acceptable to a majority of Americans, the researchers found in their testing. A higher concentration was found to be too fishy flavored to be acceptable. “A potential market exists for this population," the researchers concluded.

Walmart Stores is hoping to bolster its 2011 comparable stores sales gains by reducing grocery prices by $1 billion, a move that will be difficult for grocery competitors to match. The price reductions, which Walmart calls “investing in price,” could have a negative impact on margins, according to analysts, but the company hopes the increase in store traffic will offset the drop in profit. In addition, the company believes that losses in the thin-margin grocery section will be made up in other higher margin areas, like clothing. Walmart’s 2011 grocery sales were $145 billion.