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OTHER BUSINESS360 SOLUTIONS... Insights & Outsights, a light-hearted annual retrospective (2013 and 2014). Email us for more | | Subject: | FOOD BUSINESS NEWS | | Period: | April 16, 2016 to April 23, 2016 | | Geographies: | Worldwide | | Categories: | All Categories | | Contents | |
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 Spices and seasonings maker McCormick has purchased all of the shares of Australia’s Botanical Food Company, a manufacturer of packaged fresh herbs. Annual sales of the Gourmet Garden brand are about $53 million and growing at a double-digit rate. McCormick plans to drive sales of the brand by expanding global distribution and marketing. The company paid $114 million in cash for Botanical Food, which was founded in 1999 in Queensland.
"McCormick & Company Acquires Botanical Food Company, a Global Leader in Chilled Convenient Herbs", News release, McCormick & Co., April 19, 2016
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 Mars Food says it will reformulate some of its food products to make them more healthful, and will begin labeling some with guidance as to whether they should be eaten occasionally or can be eaten every day. The company acknowledged that some of its food products have more salt, added sugar or fat, and therefore should not be eaten daily. The company also plans to cut the amount of salt in its food 20 percent within five years, and reduce sugar in some sauces and light meals by 2018. Brussels-based Mars owns brands like M&Ms, Snickers, Wrigley’s, Dolmio, Miracoli, and Uncle Ben’s.
"Mars Food tells consumers not to eat their products on a daily basis", EurActiv.com, April 15, 2016
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 Researcher Mintel – noting the “fever pitch” of the movement among food producers, restaurants, and retailers toward cage-free eggs – reports that half of Millennials put the cage-free/free-range claim among their top five concerns. The claim is less important to Baby Boomers, only 40 percent of whom put it among their top five. Mintel notes that the companies on the cage-free bandwagon may be reacting to consumer demand, or to a genuine concern for animal welfare. But another possibility has more to do with dollars and cents. Though cage-free eggs only cost 15 cents more a dozen to produce, they sell at twice the price of conventional large eggs: an average of $2.99 a dozen, compared to $1.29.
"Cage-Free-For-All?", Blog, Mintel, April 14, 2016
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 In a corporate progress report, General Mills says it has made significant headway in its plan to sustainably source all of its 10 “priority ingredients” – about half of its yearly raw material purchases – by 2020. The company also noted progress in delivering more healthful foods. It has lowered sodium and sugar content (in cereals and yogurts) and reformulated some products in response to consumer preferences. It eliminated artificial colors and flavors in its cereals and added gluten-free products. It also said it is now “the third-largest U.S. natural and organic food producer.”
"General Mills encouraged by progress on health and wellness goals", Food Business News, April 13, 2016
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 A Mintel poll of American consumers found nearly half complaining that it is too tough to find healthful food at restaurants. And when they do find it, it tends to be too expensive (64 percent). Sixty-eight percent said restaurants should make it easier by indicating on menus which foods are more healthful. The problem is significant enough for 36 percent of those polled that they’d rather prepare healthful foods at home than try to find them at restaurants.
"Half Of Americans Agree That Finding Healthy Items At Restaurants Is Challenging", News release, Mintel, April 11, 2016
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 A Charleroi, Pa., pasta maker has launched a line of high-protein macaroni and cheese products made with semolina wheat, vegetable proteins and “real cheese.” The Quality Pasta Company line includes macaroni and cheese, deluxe shells and cheese and individual macaroni and cheese microwaveable cups. Each contains 20 grams of protein per serving, about twice the protein in national brands. The Muscle Mac product comprises all-natural, GMO-free semolina wheat pasta enriched with vegetable protein and cheese with no synthetic dyes, colors, flavors, partially hydrogenated oils or trans-fats.
"Quality Pasta Company Launches Muscle Mac™ Macaroni & Cheese", News release, Quality Pasta Company, April 08, 2016
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 A native Australian is accomplishing a lifelong dream by opening a bakery in Scottsdale, Ariz., that features traditional “Aussie” baked goods. Prepared daily and presented in hot and cold display cases, the Great Australian Bakery sells meat pies, pasties (various ingredients encased in a puff pastry), sausage rolls and pastries. The bakery celebrated its grand opening with a 50-percent-off sale on all of its entrees, which together offer a “true taste from the land down under.”
"The Great Australian Bakery is Celebrating Their Opening with Half-Off Pies, Pasties and Sausage Rolls", News release, Great Australian Bakery, April 07, 2016
|  Though low-carb diets remain popular in the nutrition and fitness communities, they are not particularly favored among American consumers, who love their carbs. That does not bode well for anti-obesity initiatives. Using data collected from the 2014 American Community Survey and Dun and Bradstreet, the FindTheHome search engine found the most popular foods in every U.S. state. The search engine assumes that the restaurant types with the highest density per 100,000 people are the most popular. Pizza is the fan-favorite in most states, followed by baked goods and Mexican food. A typical example is Pennsylvania, population 12.8 million. Its most popular restaurant styles are pizza, bakeries, sandwich shops, and Chinese food, in that... More "The Most Popular Food in Every State", The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Mass.), April 06, 2016
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 Though the retail cupcake space is crowded, and there’s been some falloff in consumer demand recently, some entrepreneurs in Atlanta feel they have the key to cupcake success. Using innovative, patent-pending baking technology, and high-quality ingredients, Create Your Own Cupcake is able to offer more than a thousand flavor combinations customizable on the spot or online for home delivery. The high-tech bakery looks like a creative studio, and includes separate gluten and gluten-free facilities. Premium packaging and advanced technology guarantee fast turnaround.
"Create Your Cupcake Launches in Atlanta With Craveable Sweets On-Demand", News release, Create Your Own Cupcake, April 06, 2016
|  Banking on the assumption that diners are getting tired of wings, pizza, and burger joints, Detroit-based Lorraine Platman is rapidly building an empire of macaroni and cheese eateries. Sweet Lorraine's Fabulous Mac n' Cheez! has expanded beyond her seven-location Michigan roots by opening a Chicago-area restaurant, and expects to launch nine more in the area over the coming years – two this year alone – for a total of 100 nationwide within five years. The company sells 14 kinds of made-to-order meat-topped and vegetarian macaroni and cheese dishes, each served up in less than two minutes. Besides specialty mac-and-cheese dishes, Sweet Lorraine's offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free soups, salads, healthy wraps, grilled cheese... More "Sweet Lorraine's Fabulous Mac n' Cheez! twists into Chicagoland", Fast Casual, March 03, 2016
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| Companies, Organizations | | | | Unilever has applied information technology in everything the company does, including how it interacts with consumers, conducts research and development, product development, and marketing, according to chief information officer Jane Moran. As a CIO, Moran has driven the company’s focus on efforts to create and enable a flexible workforce, as well as provide employees equipped with the latest tools to stay connected and capable of collaborating with colleagues across the globe. In 2015, Unilever’s IT department also focused on improving core business services, achieving 99.8 percent uptime on core IT environment. By improving efficiency, the company was able reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 190,000 tons and cut related costs by ... More "CIO 100: Unilever - Jane Moran, CIO", CIO, April 22, 2016
Unilever Nigeria reported revenue grew 12 percent to N16.78 billion in the first quarter of 2016, compared with N14.9 billion in the same quarter of 2015. Profit after tax jumped 76 percent to N1.05 billion from N590 million, while profit before tax rose 64 percent to N1.42 billion from N860 million. Gross profit grew to N6.03 billion from N5.06 billion in 2015, the company said. Gross margin improved by 33.95 percent in 2015 to 33.95 percent in 2016, while EBIT margin rose from 10.88 percent in 2015 to 11.37 percent.
"Nigeria: Unilever Finally Turns the Corner", AllAfrica, April 20, 2016
| Bloomberg, April 20, 2016 The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2016 Bloomberg, April 18, 2016 | |
| Market News | | | |
Unilever reported underlying sales grew 4.7 percent in the first quarter of 2016, compared with the same quarter in the previous year. Sales growth slowed from 4.9 percent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015, with the company blaming weaker volumes and deflation for the decline. According to the company, currency fluctuations reduced quarterly revenue by 7 percent.
"Unilever Finds Growth More Elusive as Sales Meet Estimates", Bloomberg, April 14, 2016
Unilever said sales in Europe declined 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2016, compared with the same quarter of the previous year. According to the company, the slower growth was due to the impact of Eurozone deflation and aggressive price discounting. Underlying sales increased 4.7 percent during the quarter, boosted by the 8.3 percent increase in sales in emerging markets. Unilever CEO Paul Polman said the market remained volatile, with sales growth “weakening across emerging markets and negative in Europe.”
"Unilever warns of fragile consumer market", The Guardian, April 14, 2016
| Bloomberg Gadfly, April 21, 2016 Euromonitor International, April 20, 2016 Bloomberg Gadfly, April 19, 2016 Business Insider, April 18, 2016 | |
| Marketing & Advertising | | | |
Unilever spent 24 percent of its total advertising budget on digital media in the first quarter of 2016, compared with 20 percent in the same quarter in 2015. In digitally advanced markets, such as the United States and China, that number goes up to almost 50 percent. Unilever, the second-biggest spender on advertising in the world, after rival Procter & Gamble, spent $8.3 billion on advertising in 2014, according to AdAge.
"Unilever now spends quarter of ad budget on digital", Net Imperative, April 20, 2016
Online retailer Amazon’s grocery delivery service, AmazonFresh, has failed to grow as fast as the company hoped and market analysts expected. In contrast, the company’s Amazon Prime loyalty program and Amazon Web Services online storage service have become multi-billion-dollar brands and boosted market value to almost $300 billion. Its inability to offer delivery prices lower than those offered by rivals and geography prevent Walmart from expanding its grocery delivery business beyond the largest urban centers. Wal-Mart Stores, which claims to have a store within a 5-mile radius of 70 percent of Americans, is expected to maintain its hold on the number 1 position in the grocery trade, the only market segment it outperforms Amazon.
"Amazon still can't crack the grocery industry", Business Insider, April 17, 2016
| CPG Matters, April 15, 2016 PR Newswire, April 12, 2016 | |