Scottish Retail Body Criticises SNP Proposal for Food-Price Caps
The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has slammed the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) election‑time proposal to impose statutory price caps on 20‑50 essential food items at large supermarkets, calling it a gimmick. The SNP, led by John Swinney, argues caps will shield families from soaring grocery bills, while retailers contend that new taxes and regulations, not retailer pricing, drive costs. SRC and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation warn caps could force shoppers to travel farther, harming local stores and squeezing already thin supermarket margins. Instead, they urge the government to cut taxes and regulatory burdens to lower prices.
French Regulator Fines Organic Food Retail Groups for Price Collusion
France’s competition authority fined four organic retail groups a total of €12.7 m ($14.7 m) for orchestrating a price‑collusion scheme that kept organic brands separate between specialist stores and supermarkets. The regulator said the arrangement, lasting over seven years, forced members to...
Danish Crown Plans Meatball Factory Closure
Denmark’s leading meat cooperative Danish Crown announced plans to move its ready‑to‑eat meatball production from the Aalborg plant, located in a dense residential area of Copenhagen, to its Vejle facility in southern Jutland. The 140‑employee Aalborg site is slated for...
Nestlé Sells Majority Ankerkraut Stake to Family Owners
Nestlé is selling its majority stake in German spice and tea brand Ankerkraut back to founders Anne and Stefan Lemcke. The move is part of a broader portfolio simplification driven by CEO Philipp Navratil, who has been offloading non‑core assets such...
Iceland, Lidl Fall Foul of New UK ‘Junk Food’ Rules
UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints that Iceland Foods and Lidl breached the country’s new junk‑food advertising rules. Both retailers ran promotions for high‑fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products—Iceland via banner ads on the Daily Mail site and...
EU Commission Raids “Chocolate Confectionery” Company in Suspected Anti-Trust Breach
The European Commission carried out unannounced inspections at an unidentified chocolate confectionery firm in two EU member states, suspecting breaches of Articles 101 and 102 of the EU competition treaty. Investigators are probing possible cartels, market segmentation and abuse of a dominant...
Conagra Brands Incoming CEO on Knife Edge
Conagra Brands named former JM Smucker COO John Brase as its president and CEO, effective June 1, after Sean Connolly’s departure. The announcement triggered a 4.4% drop in the stock, adding to an 18% decline year‑to‑date and a 62% slide over five...
Spanish Bakery Major Monbake Buys Foodservice Supplier
Monbake Group, the Spanish frozen‑bakery leader, announced the acquisition of Triticum, a foodservice supplier that generated over €10 million ($11.8 million) in revenue last year. Triticum, which serves the hospitality sector from its Cabrera de Mar base, will continue operating independently under...
Winland Foods Invests in US Pasta Plant
Winland Foods is injecting $38.5 million to expand its St. Louis pasta plant, adding a new production line and rail‑car access. The upgrade will boost capacity and flexibility, allowing greater output of jumbo shells and other egg‑pasta products. The facility is slated...
Herdez Gives Control of Nestlé Mexico Ice-Cream Business to Froneri
Grupo Herdez will hand operational control of its Nestlé‑licensed ice‑cream portfolio in Mexico to Froneri, creating a 50‑50 joint venture. Froneri will inject capital and assume full operational authority, while Herdez receives no cash inflow and will reclassify its stake...
B&G Foods Strike Averted as New Contracts Agreed at US Plant
B&G Foods averted a strike at its Stoughton, Wisconsin plant after Teamsters Local 120 ratified a new three‑year contract. The agreement delivers a 19% wage increase, maintains robust health‑care benefits, and adds better vacation and workplace protections for the 59...
MBRF Expands Salic Meat Contract with Inclusion of Beef
Brazilian meat conglomerate MBRF, formed by the merger of Marfrig and BRF, has expanded its agreement with Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (Salic) to include beef. The contract now doubles the maximum poultry volume to 600,000 metric tonnes annually...
Conagra Brands Appoints Former JM Smucker Exec John Brase as CEO
Conagra Brands announced that John Brase, former president and COO of JM Smucker, will assume the role of president and CEO on June 1, succeeding Sean Connolly. Brase brings more than 35 years of consumer‑goods experience, including senior positions at Procter & Gamble. The company...
Aksia’s Fornaio Del Casale Strikes Trio of Food Deals
Fornaio del Casale, now owned by private‑equity firm Aksìa, has completed three add‑on acquisitions—Castelfood, Figulì and Dolciaria Ponte Vecchio—creating the new Equipe Del Casale Group. The combined entity will generate roughly €85 million ($99 million) in revenue and is targeting 10% growth...
JBS Workers Reach Wage Agreement at US Beef Plant
JBS USA and UFCW Local 7 have signed a new collective bargaining agreement, ending the four‑week strike at the Greeley, Colorado beef‑packing plant. The contract runs through April 2028 and provides a $0.70 hourly base‑wage increase at ratification, followed by $0.40 hikes...
