The UK debate over sugar intensified this week with Public Health England calling for a series of measures to reduce consumption. In the US, Campbell Soup Co. and The Schwan Food Co. both made pledges to simplify the ingredient panels in some of their products. In China, PepsiCo announced the opening of the first Quaker Oats plant in the country. Here is the week in quotes.
"Profitable companies of the 21st century will be those that align the needs of their business with the needs of the world around them…Our new Quaker plant and the PepsiCo Foundation’s work with Tsinghua University are the latest examples of how we are delivering Performance with Purpose – growing in China, for China and with China" – Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, comments on the company's opening of its first Quaker Oats manufacturing plant in China.
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"No single action will be effective in reducing sugar intakes. This is too serious a problem to be solved by approaches that rely only on individuals changing their behaviour in response to health education and marketing, or the better provision of information on our food. The environmental drivers of poor diets we face are just too big" – a report from Public Health England insists on the need for a tax of up to 20% on "high-sugar" products to help lower the amount of it eaten.
"There are all kinds of trends that relate to sugar. There is a lot of insecurity out there. The consumer is pointing us towards natural sweet. That can be honey, molasses, things like that. That is really where we see the market going, or it is at least one area where the market will be going" – Sebastian Siethoff, vice president of bakery at CSM Bakery Solutions, speaks to just-food about the latest trends when it comes to sweetening foodstuffs as concerns about sugar and artificial additives grow among consumers.
"We are committed to offering quality foods made with the same recognisable ingredients you would find in your pantry. We will continue to evaluate our ingredient lists to ensure we are satisfying consumer expectations" – Dimitrios Smyrnios, CEO of The Schwan Food Co., comments on the firm's plans to simplify the ingredient lists across its project portfolio, removing four ingredient groups by 2017.
"Campbell's Healthy Request is a really important part of an even more open and transparent Campbell's. Healthy Request brings to life our commitment to real food, highest quality ingredients, and great taste, all shared with Canadian consumers in an open and transparent way" – Moya Brown, VP of marketing at Campbell Soup Co.'s Canadian arm, discusses the soup maker's latest announcement that it is removing preservatives from its Healthy Request soup range in the country.
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By GlobalData"The dairy processing industry has faced a number of significant challenges in recent years and we believe that this outcome is good for the dairy industry and the retailers. The remedy addresses in a clear-cut manner the competition concerns we had with the merger in especially the south west and Wales regions" – Sheldon Mills, senior director of mergers at the CMA, comments on the approval by the UK competition officials to clear Muller's bid to buy Dairy Crest's liquid milk business.
"We remain committed to our expansion plans having spent some EGP219m during the nine-month period, directed primarily at our dairy farms – where the procured high-quality German Holstein cows have already started production — in addition to improving operational efficiency of the group’s commercial and industrial activities" – Safwan Thabet, CEO and chairman of Egypt's Juhayna Food Industries, comments in the wake of the firm's nine month profit jump.
"A lift in investment is vital for the Australian food and grocery sector to scale up and meet the opportunities of the future. Future growth to fully capitalise on improved market access and growing demand from middle class consumers in the emerging economies of Asia and the Middle East will require a step change in investment in the food and grocery sector" – Gary Dawson, CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, says investment in the Australian food industry is vital, following a report that revealed capital investment over the last year fell 9% to A$3bn.
"Fyffes continues to be strongly cash generative and, following this series of earnings enhancing developments, it anticipates that year end net debt will not exceed one times target adjusted EBITDA for the year. Fyffes remains confident about the future prospects of its business and is well placed to compete strongly in its key markets, following these and other important strategic and operational developments in recent years" – Irish produce group Fyffes releases a statement after acquiring a banana farm in Costa Rica and 'additional melon farming assets' in Central America which it says will boost its capacity in the melon category by close to 25% for the upcoming US import season.
