Industry Developments

Norwegian food conglomerate Rieber & Søn has reported strong results for the second quarter of 2008. Over the period Rieber & Søn's net sales increased by 7.1% compared... 2008-08-18

A report in France, carried out by two state agencies, has recommended that VAT on unhealthy foods be increased from 5.5% to 19.6% to combat obesity. The proposals were put forward... 2008-08-15

Brewing giant InBev has reported a mixed set of results for the second quarter of 2008. While the firm recorded a reasonable level of growth in Latin America, the firm underperformed... 2008-08-14

On August 12 2008, around 400 farmers demonstrated outside Diageo's flagship Guinness brewery in Dublin over the low the prices that they are paid for barley. The farmers claim that... 2008-08-13

Spain's largest food group, Ebro Puleva, has posted a 62% year-on-year increase in net profit for the first half of 2008. The firm's profits reached EUR78.6mn (US$116mn) on the back... 2008-08-12

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC) has reached an agreement to acquire Italy's second largest Coca-Cola bottler, Socib S.p.A, in a deal worth EUR270m (US$418mn). The deal... 2008-08-11

Swiss food and drink powerhouse Nestlé has announced good sales for the first six months of the year, with turnover reaching CHF53.1bn (US$50.3bn), an increase of 3.8% year-on-year.... 2008-08-07

The issue of genetically modified (GM) foods and how to deal with their entry into the EU market continues to plague the European Commission, this time in the form of a lawsuit issued... 2008-07-29

Pernod Ricard has reported a 2.3% increase in revenues for the year ending June 30. The firm's results were buoyed by an 8.7% organic increase in sales, but tempered by a large foreign... 2008-07-25

France-based retail giant Auchan has snapped up Spanish retail chain Galerias Primero. The acquisition, which was made through Auchan's Spanish subsidiary Sabeco, includes 81 supermarkets... 2008-07-24