Danish Crown has resolved a legal dispute over greenwashing allegations by committing to refrain from using deceptive terms regarding the pork giant’s environmental credentials. The case revolves around the marketing slogans “Danish pig is more climate-friendly than you think” and “climate-controlled pig”, which sparked criticism in 2021 from the Danish Vegetarian Association and the Climate Movement in Denmark campaign groups. Denmark’s Western High Court ruled in Danish Crown’s favor regarding the climate-friendly term in March. However, it found the “climate-controlled pig” phrase in violation of section five of the Danish Marketing Practices Act. Danish Crown has now taken further action…
Author: Sam Allcock
PepsiCo has laid off employees at a snacks and crackers plant in Argentina, citing “challenging” macroeconomic conditions. The US giant has cut 36 of the nearly 400 jobs at the site in General Pueyrredón in Buenos Aires Province. When contacted by Just Food, sources at PepsiCo said the company “recognises that this decision is extremely difficult and will dedicate all its efforts to accompany this process with the greatest care and respect for its collaborators.” They said the decision was made “to ensure the long-term viability” of the company in Argentina in what they said is “a challenging economic environment,…
Quick-service US pizza franchise Stoner’s Pizza Joint has unveiled plans to open three new franchised stores in Florida. The launch next month will see new locations in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and St Augustine. All will offer dine-in, take-out and full delivery. Since its establishment in 2013, Stoner’s Pizza Joint has been a delivery and takeout-focused concept. All food is prepared using proprietary recipes for the pizza dough, sauce and cheese blend. Stoner’s Pizza Joint is actively seeking new multi-unit operators across the US as it plans to open 100 units by the end of 2025. Stoner’s Pizza Joint president Scott…
Norway’s competition authority has reduced the proposed fines lodged against the country’s three largest retailers in a so-called “price hunting” episode. In a case dating back to 2020 and beyond, Norgesgruppen, Rema 1000 and Coop Norge have been given until 2 May to state their objections to the revised fines, which now total a preliminary Nkr4.9bn ($450.6m). Competition regulator Konkurransetilsynet imposed a combined Nkr21bn on the three retailers in 2020 following a 2018 investigation, which suggested they colluded to determine prices. “At the same time, the assessment of a possible restriction of competition by effect continues. The size of the…
Michael F. Finete assumed the role of chief executive officer of Mary’s Gone Crackers in July 2023. Since then, he has been laying the groundwork to propel the company towards growth, transitioning from being a category leader in a niche market to achieving greater scale in snacking and, more specifically, the better-for-you snack sector. Mary’s Gone Crackers specialises in manufacturing organic and gluten-free snacks, including crackers, cookies, and thins. Established in 2004, the company was acquired by Kameda Seika Co. Ltd., a Japanese firm with a US presence in Torrance, California, in 2013. Finete joined the company following successful stints…
The latest iteration of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Food and You 2 survey, conducted between April and July 2023, reveals a notable increase in respondents’ worries regarding the affordability of food, marking the highest level since the survey’s inception. Wave 7 of the survey uncovered that 55% of individuals across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland expressed being ‘highly concerned’ about the affordability of food, up from 48% in Wave 5, which coincided with the same period in 2022. A staggering eighty percent of respondents acknowledged having adjusted their eating habits in the past 12 months due to financial constraints.…
McCain Foods of Canada, renowned for its French fries, has successfully acquired Strong Roots, an Irish enterprise specialising in plant-based frozen foods. This acquisition, the financial details of which remain confidential, follows the 2021 announcement where McCain had initially purchased a minority share in the company. Established in Dublin in 2015 by Chief Executive Samuel Dennigan, Strong Roots offers an assortment of products such as Cauliflower Hash Browns, Mixed Root Vegetable Fries, and Sweet Potato Fries. The company’s offerings are available across several markets, including Ireland, the UK, and the USA. Back in 2021, McCain made a $55 million investment…
China’s leading infant formula company, Feihe, has reported a significant downturn in profits, attributing the decline to the nation’s decreasing birth rates. Feihe, which is listed in Hong Kong and commands an estimated 17% of China’s infant formula market, experienced a downturn in its 2023 revenues, “primarily due to [the] low birth rate in China and high competitive pressure in the industry”. The firm’s annual profit fell to 3.29 billion yuan, a 33.5% decrease from 2022. Gross profits were also down by 9.2% at 3.29 billion yuan ($455.1m), with revenues dropping 8.3% to 19.53 billion yuan. Having issued a profit…
Nestlé has announced a significant investment of €472 million ($507 million) into a new pet food manufacturing facility in Northern Italy, as confirmed by the Italian government. Slated for construction in the Valdaro industrial zone within Mantua, the factory will specialise in the production of wet pet food, stated Adolfo Urso, Italy’s Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, today (10 April). Spanning approximately 180,000 square metres, the development of the site is expected to generate 300 employment opportunities. According to the Italian ministry, the project is scheduled for completion by 2027. “The great teamwork with the ministry has led…
The Canadian Space Agency alongside Impact Canada has conferred the C$380,000 Deep Space Food Challenge’s grand accolade to Ecoation and Maia Farms. Their innovative CANGrow food system was distinguished amongst four contenders in the final, third phase of the contest. “What started out as a starry-eyed childhood dream to grow food on the moon has become reality today,” Gavin Schneider, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Maia Farms, shared. “More ambitious human space exploration will require the use of food production systems in space, and this project addresses a key need to fuel our journey beyond our planetary boundary.”…