All news articles for January 2013

Dunkin’ to enter Vietnam as part of massive Asia expansion

New home in Ho Chi Minh

Dunkin’ to enter Vietnam as part of massive Asia expansion

By RJ Whitehead

Dunkin' Donuts has announced that it has signed a franchise agreement to develop the brand in Vietnam. The move comes only shortly after coffee-and-baked-goods rival Starbucks revealed details of its own move into the South-east Asian country.

Researchers call for tooth-decay warnings on soft drinks

Australia's labelling free-for-all

Researchers call for tooth-decay warnings on soft drinks

By RJ Whitehead

The latest call for advisories on Australian food labels comes from researchers at the University of Adelaide, who say that any health warnings for soft drinks should include the risk of tooth decay. This follows a new study that looks at the consumption...

World looks to China for clues about global pork strength

Analysis

World looks to China for clues about global pork strength

By RJ Whitehead

China will be a key indicator of the state of the global pork market in 2013 after the world, according to Rabobank. Nevertheless, China’s pork producers will still face a challenging year in 2013.

Diageo faces struggle to make United Spirits pay: Analyst

Diageo faces struggle to make United Spirits pay: Analyst

By Ben BOUCKLEY

The potential upsides in Diageo’s potential acquisition of a majority stake in India's United Spirits (USL) are clear but achieving acceptable profitability from the business may be tricky, according to one analyst.

Litigators licking their lips over Yum! class action

KFC in crisis

Litigators licking their lips over Yum! class action

By RJ Whitehead

Lawyers in the United States are queuing up to bring on board investors in KFC’s parent, Yum! Brands, for a class action lawsuit. The move follows nearly two months of questions concerning meat standards at the fast food chain’s Chinese operation.

Kiwi government invests big in beef and sheep collaboration

Meeting of minds

Kiwi government invests big in beef and sheep collaboration

By RJ Whitehead

New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been digging even deeper into its Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) fund to find significant funds for a new, NZ$65m joint development project between sheep and beef farmers.

Beast of bureaucracy makes logjam hard to avoid

Straight talk

Beast of bureaucracy makes logjam hard to avoid

By RJ Whitehead

If there’s one thing India doesn’t need, that’s more bureaucracy. As the saying goes, the British introduced it, then the Indians perfected it post-Independence. And even as the country celebrated its sixty-fourth Republic day last week, all the form-filling...

Aussie grocers reporting growth and prices on the rise

Industry on the up

Aussie grocers reporting growth and prices on the rise

By RJ Whitehead

Good news for Australia, where retail spending growth should remain steady heading into 2013. At the same time the country’s two leading supermarket chains have reported their strongest quarterly sales growth for more than a year. 

New Zealand reassures Chinese consumers in wake of Fonterra DCD crisis

Chemical contamination

New Zealand reassures Chinese consumers in wake of Fonterra DCD crisis

By RJ Whitehead

New Zealand’s government has started a PR offensive to limit the impact of last week’s revelations that low levels of chemical residue were discovered in dairy products from the country, and Chinese consumers find themselves high on its charm list.

India-led team decodes genome sequence of the chickpea

'Scientific breakthrough'

India-led team decodes genome sequence of the chickpea

By RJ Whitehead

A global research project led by a Hyderabad institute claims to have sequenced 90 genomes of the chickpea, paving the way for improved grain yields, greater drought tolerance and enhanced genetic diversity.

New Zealand winemakers talking tactics for China push

State of the industry

New Zealand winemakers talking tactics for China push

By RJ Whitehead

Recognising the newfound importance of the Chinese wine market, New Zealand’s vintners are pulling out the stops to make sure their exports have a place in Far East cellars.

Better, stronger VB arrests decade-long decline

Better, stronger VB arrests decade-long decline

By RJ Whitehead

Victoria Bitter’s heartfelt apology last year is likely behind the beer’s turnaround in the Australian market, after the SABMiller brand showed its first quarter of growth in over 10 years of steady 10% declines.

Nine out of 10 Aussies don’t understand country of origin labelling

Nine out of 10 Aussies don’t understand country of origin labelling

By RJ Whitehead

A new survey to identify consumers’ understanding of country of origin food labelling has found that almost all Australians cannot make sense of what they read, and out of those that can, knowing the origin is much more important for fresh food than for...

DNA amplification on microspheres for safer food. Picture couresty of the University of Queensland

Technology allows faster screening for bacteria on food

By Joe Whitworth

Australian researchers have claimed a breakthrough that will allow them to use DNA amplification on “microspheres” to rapidly detect and identify large numbers of different bacteria at once.

Mengniu brand value plummets in 2012 as the Yili brand soars

Mengniu brand value plummets in 2012 as the Yili brand soars

By Mark Astley

Mengniu saw its brand value plummet by more than 30% in 2012, as Chinese public concern over the safety of domestically-manufactured dairy products continued to turn consumers towards ‘safer’ international brands.

FDI will bring the fresh ideas India desperately needs

Straight talk

FDI will bring the fresh ideas India desperately needs

By RJ Whitehead

As foreign retailers gear up for entry into India now that foreign direct investment is a reality, it is fast becoming clear how the policy has the potential to offer wide-ranging benefits to Indian business as a whole. It just takes an open mind to consider...

Ayurvedic workhorses poised for market breakthrough, expert predicts

Ayurvedic workhorses poised for market breakthrough, expert predicts

By Hank Schultz

If you are looking for what’s hot on the botanical front in 2013, here’s the skinny from a longtime observer of the herbal arena: Open your lesson book to the first two pages, and follow after me: A is for Ayurveda and ashwagandha and B is for bacopa.

Processing plant seeks to wean Pinoy farmers off tobacco

Processing plant seeks to wean Pinoy farmers off tobacco

By RJ Whitehead

Struggling tobacco farmers in the northern Philippines have been thrown a lifeline by the government, which will soon open a multi-million dollar food processing plant in Ilocos Sur, along with a trading centre in the province.

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