The EU Commission is poised to impose a fine on Mondelez International for purportedly restricting the sale of its products among EU member states. According to the Financial Times, which referenced three unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the penalty is expected to be issued as early as next month. The Commission has reportedly discovered evidence that the maker of Cadbury has violated antitrust laws. The exact amount of the fine Mondelez could face remains uncertain. In January 2021, Brussels initiated an investigation into the trade practices of the Oreo biscuit manufacturer concerning the distribution of chocolate, biscuits,…
Author: Sam Allcock
Customers queue for 11 hours to get their hands on the famous Louisiana Chicken Sandwich The hotly anticipated opening of Popeyes® Aberdeen saw queues of guests down the Granite Mile yesterday (15 April) as the New Orleans-inspired chicken restaurant opened the doors to its newest venue at 111-115 Union Street. The new, and now northernmost, restaurant in the UK marks the second Scottish location and Popeyes® 10th UK opening this year, as part of exciting expansion plans to open 30 new locations in 2024. Guests attending the opening day had the first chance to experience Popeyes® world-famous New Orleans-inspired menu, including…
Lions Clubs International Foundation and World Food Programme USA have announced a £4 million partnership to support children with school meals in four countries. Teaming up to tackle food insecurity in four countries around the world, World Food Programme USA and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) have announced a £4 million partnership. The joint initiative will support the United Nations World Food Programme’s homegrown school meals program, with each organisation contributing £2 million with the aim to tackle global hunger. The countries that are set to benefit from this joint initiative include Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Ecuador. “This is…
Danish dairy major Arla Foods is hoping to contain a labour dispute in its domestic market that has seen 125 employees go on strike. Members of the HK union at eight Arla’s dairies walked out yesterday (15 April) in a dispute over pay. It is understood the workers are laboratory technicians. The facilities affected are Denmark Protein, Bislev, AKAFA, HOCO, Taulov, ARINCO, Esbjerg and Rødkærsbro dairies and the Arla Foods Ingredients Innovation Centre. Arla representatives are holding talks with the union this morning to try and bring the row to a conclusion. In a statement sent to Just Food, an…
The Johannesburg High Court has overturned the South African government’s decision to seize all plant-based meat alternatives from the shelves, a ruling that allows “meaty” names like sausage, burger and steak to be used on faux-meat products. In 2022, South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) moved to ban the use of the word “meat” and other words referring to products of animal origin, such as “sausage” or “steak”, from being used to market meat-alternative items. Two months later, the alt-meat industry won a court reprieve from plans to seize the items, pending the full hearing…
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a leading climate-certification organisation, is currently embroiled in a dispute with its own staff following the announcement of a new carbon-offsetting plan. The plan, which would allow companies to use environmental attribute certificates to offset emissions, particularly those from supply chains (Scope 3 emissions), has sparked significant dissent within the organisation. Employees have demanded the withdrawal of the recent statement and are calling for the resignation of CEO Luiz Fernando do Amaral and board members who supported the plan. This internal turmoil was revealed in a letter circulated among various media outlets including the…
Researchers from the University of Sydney have discovered significant gaps in the nutritional information provided on menu items across major online food delivery outlets in Australia. A study analysing these menus has highlighted a concerning absence of details that could help consumers make healthier food choices. In their investigation, which scrutinised 482 menus from UberEats, Menulog, and Deliveroo, the researchers found that “most advertised items are missing nutritional information that would otherwise help consumers make healthy choices”. Remarkably, “less than six percent of menus of food outlets on third-party online food delivery applications had complete kilojoule labelling.” This oversight persists…
Starbucks is poised to introduce its Spicy Lemonade Refreshers beverages along with a new Spicy Cream Cold Foam across Canada, starting 16 April 2024. These seasonal offerings, available for a limited time this spring, promise to refresh with a twist. The Spicy Lemonade Refreshers line-up features three tropical flavours: Spicy Dragonfruit, Spicy Pineapple, and Spicy Strawberry. Each flavour combines the zest of lemonade with a unique spicy chilli powder blend, adding an invigorating kick to the sweet and tart beverage. The Spicy Strawberry variant melds the sweet flavours of strawberry and acai with lemonade, real strawberry pieces, and a spicy…
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…
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,…