Covid-19 food
industry updates – Tuesday 18 August (free to read)
By just-food.com | 18 August 2020
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Coronavirus - positive tests at Bakkavor plant |
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18 August
Bakkavor
employees at desserts factory test positive
UK
private-label major Bakkavor has seen more than 70 employees at a
desserts facility in England test positive for the Covid-19 virus.
--
Pladis
coy on report of Covid infections
Snacking
firm Pladis, which owns the McVitie's biscuit brand, has declined to confirm if
its factory in the English county of Leicestershire has suffered another bout
of coronavirus infections.
A
media report had suggested an undisclosed number of shift workers at the
facility in the village of South Wigston had tested positive for the virus
following a number of cases at the same site earlier in the summer.
The
city of Leicester was the first to be placed in a regional lockdown by the UK
government in June after a flair up of cases, but authorities are believed to
be now considering easing restrictions.
When
asked by just-food to confirm the report and the number of infections at the
site, a spokesperson for Pladis said, "we don't have any further comment
on this matter".
However,
Pladis did provide a statement, which read: "The safety and wellbeing of
our employees remains our number one priority. We have been actively engaging
with local health authorities who are confident that our site is taking every
measure to ensure robust hygiene and social distancing measures are in place.
We will continue to work closely with local authorities and follow all guidance
laid out by the Government."
The
statement outlined measures the company has taken since March, including
plastic barriers and social distancing; staggering work start times; the
placement of sanitisers, enhanced cleaning procedures and weekend closures for
deep cleaning; reduced production lines; face coverings; and pop-up canteens.
"All
[workers] are instructed not to enter the site if they have any symptoms,"
while "employees who are self-isolating receive full pay to ensure they
feel no pressure to be at the site while unwell", the statement read.
--
Hong
Kong bans imports from Brazil's Aurora over Covid concerns
Reports
from Hong Kong have confirmed that the territory has banned imports from
Brazilian chicken and pork processor Aurora over Covid-19 concerns.
Last
week Aurora was identified by Chinese authorities as the origin of chicken
products with alleged traces of coronavirus.
Now
Hong Kong had blocked imports from the company's chicken plant in Xaxim, Santa
Catarina state, over linked concerns.
News
agency Reuters, quoting a statement from labour prosecutors in Santa
Catarina. reported that the ban comes on the same day the company agreed to
test 11,000 workers for coronavirus, starting on 21 August, at four of its
plants.
Reuters
quoted the Brazilian meat lobby organisation ABPA as saying that there is no
evidence coronavirus is transmitted by food.
But
it confirmed Aurora has not been formally notified of the Hong Kong decision.
17
August
2
Sisters site in South Lanarkshire suspends operations after four Covid-19 cases
UK
poultry business 2
Sisters Food Group has closed its plant in South Lanarkshire, Scotland,
after four employees tested positive for coronavirus.
2
Sisters said the cases at the Coupar Angus facility were confirmed yesterday
(16 August) amid wider community clusters in nearby Perth and Kinross, and has
therefore temporarily suspended operations and paused production at the factory
today. The site employs 1,000 people.
"We
suspect they were all community transmissions, rather than the source being the
factory," a company spokesperson confirmed, adding that the first of the
four infections was a manager at the plant who is suspected of contracting the virus
from a close relative not employed at the plant.
The
spokesperson for the Coupar Angus facility said in a statement: "Following
the confirmation on August 16th of four positive Covid-19 cases at our
site in Coupar Angus, we have decided to temporarily suspend operations and
pause production on August 17th, which we believe is the responsible action to
take.
"Our
priority remains the safety and well-being of all colleagues, and we will be
reviewing the situation closely in partnership with the relevant regional and
national Scottish Covid-19 taskforces before we restart production."
--
Convenience
still king at breakfast, despite Covid-19
Homeworking
has changed breakfast habits and continues to do so as Covid restrictions ease
- but analysts at GlobalData argue consumers still want convenience even
if they aren't commuting.
The
recent changes in consumer behaviour around meal times, and breakfast time in
particular, are creating new opportunities for brands to increase market
share with targeted products.
14 August
China
finds coronavirus in frozen food imports
Authorities
in two Chinese cities have found traces of the Covid-19 virus in frozen food
imports.
Reuters,
quoting local Chinese authorities, reported a sample taken from the surface of
frozen chicken wings imported into the southern city of Shenzhen from Brazil,
as well as samples of outer packaging of frozen Ecuadorian prawns sold in the
north western city of Xian, have tested positive for the virus.
The
news agency stressed that The World Health Organization has downplayed the risk
of the virus entering the food chain.
Reuters
said Shenzhen authorities identified the chicken as originating from a plant
owned by Brazilian poultry and pork exporter Aurora.
It
added Aurora said it had not been formally notified by the Chinese authorities
of the alleged contamination while Brazil's agriculture ministry said it was
seeking clarification from Chinese authorities.
The
news agency said the health commission of Shaanxi province, where Xian city is
located, revealed authorities were testing people and the surrounding
environment connected to the contaminated prawn products, which were sold in a
local market.
Meanwhile,
seven Argentine meat processing plants are temporarily not exporting to China
because they have registered cases of Covid-19 among their employees, Reuters
reported, quoting a source from the Argentine agricultural health agency
Senasa.
-
Staff
at a Fyffes UK warehouse to be tested for Covid-19
Nearly
200 UK-based members of staff at banana supplier Fyffes are to be tested for
coronavirus after an outbreak among ten workers.
All
staff at The Ireland-based company's distribution centre in Coventry, in the
English West Midlands, will be tested as a "precaution", the city
council said.
The
BBC quoted a spokesperson at Fyffes saying: "The safety of
all our workers is our number one priority and a number of actions to tackle
this outbreak have been agreed and are currently being implemented."
--
UK
bakery group Addo reports Covid-19 cases
Pork
pie and sausage roll maker Addo Food Group has disclosed positive cases of
Covid-19 at a factory in the UK.
Addo
said six staff at its Riverside bakery in Nottingham have the virus, which the
company underlined "represents around 1% of the workforce at the
bakery".
A
spokesperson added: "The health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce is
our number one priority – with that in mind, we continue to refer colleagues
for testing as required and have an immediate and clear plan we are following.
Our Riverside bakery continues to operate normally, and we are communicating
with Public Health England."
Yesterday,
it emerged almost 300 employees at a UK factory further south in Northampton,
run by private-label giant, had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
13
August
Greencore
factory reports hundreds of Covid-19 cases
Private-label
giant Greencore
has seen an outbreak of Covid-19 among employees at one of its manufacturing
plants in the UK.
The
sandwich, sushi and sauces maker has reported almost 300 staff from its site in
Northampton are infected with the novel coronavirus.
--
UK
pubs, restaurants see sales halve post-lockdown
Figures
have emerged in the UK giving a flavour of sales at the country's pubs and
restaurants in the first month since the formal re-opening of the sector.
Data
collected by foodservice analysts CGA, property advisers The Coffer Group and
accountancy organisation RSM showed the UK's managed pub, restaurant and bar
groups saw July sales down 50.4% on the same month last year.
Outlets
in London fared worse, the researchers said. London trading was down 58.3% in
July, with outside the M25 48.5% lower.
While
pub groups collectively saw sales fall 44.7% over the month, restaurant groups
in the cohort were down 59.8% and bars 63.3%.
"The
figures are a reflection of the fact that reopening of sites has been gradual,
and not all by any means are back in business, plus those that are open are in
general trading at well below normal levels," said Karl Chessell, director
of CGA, said. "They also paint a mixed picture, with pubs tending to open
up more strongly than restaurants, and London which was hit earliest still
struggling to gain traction."
According
to the data, 76% of the group-owned sites trading in February were open again
by the end of July. However, while 94% of managed pubs had reopened, 62% of
bars and only 36% of group-operated restaurants were back in business, the
analysts said.
--
Ireland's
Carroll Cuisine receives Covid-19 testing boost
Carroll
Cuisine, which suspended operations at its plant in central Ireland earlier
this week, has said Covid-19 tests on more than 200 of its staff have come back
negative.
The
meats and ready-meals supplier said 212 employees based at its Tullamore
facility were tested by Ireland's Health Service Executive.
Carroll
Cuisine, majority-owned by private-equity firm The Carlyle Group, said its
first employee to test positive for the novel coronavirus was on 31 July. Tests
carried out by the company led to a total of nine staff out of 330 being shown
to have the infection. The HSE agency then carried out the tests on 212 of the
employees at the Tullamore plant.
"We
therefore carried out two major testing programmes in one week. The remaining
workforce of Carroll's are not based at our Tullamore facility, or have not
attended the facility since colleagues began working from home, resulting in no
requirement for testing. Only employees who have tested negative will be
allowed back to our Tullamore facility," the company said in a statement.
The
company is in talks with the HSE to establish when and how the Tullamore site
can re-open. Carroll Cuisine said "a small number of essential maintenance
workers are on-site as they are required to maintain the facility".
It
added: "Less than 3% of our workforce have tested positive for the virus
and are self-isolating. Due to the small number of cases and
contact-tracing being carried out, this allowed our factory to continue
operating with the staff members who had all tested negative."
12 August
Smithfield
Foods reveals Q2 loss as Covid costs kick in
US
meat giant Smithfield Foods has revealed it made an underlying operating loss
of US$72m in its second quarter as the company was forced to spend $350m on
measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Smithfield,
owned by China's WH Group,
is the largest US pork producer.
The
company said the first half of 2020 was "a tale of two tapes":
pre-pandemic and pandemic. Prior to the onset of Covid-19 in the US, Smithfield
said it had "delivered record results" in the first quarter of
2020, which were "190% higher than 2019", although the company did
not provide details on those numbers.
However,
the impact of the pandemic weighed heavily on Smithfield's second quarter
(which ran to 28 June), leading the company to report an adjusted
operating loss of $72m.
Smithfield
said it incurred both direct and indirect incremental expenses related to
Covid-19 during the second quarter. This included $195m in
people-related costs, $125m in facility-related costs, and $30 million in
community-related costs.
CEO
Kenneth Sullivan said: "Going forward, we expect performance to rebound in
the fall, as our Covid-19-related costs, some of which were one-time or
short-term in nature, are declining."
--
McCain
Foods moves to support UK potato farmers
McCain
Foods, the Canada-based potato-products group, has stepped in to try to support
UK farmers, hit in recent years by volatile weather and now, due to Covid-19,
uncertain demand.
--
Opinion: Demand
for local food to last beyond Covid-19
As
lockdowns ease, there are signs consumer demand for local food – which grew
during the height of the pandemic – is sticking around, according to GlobalData
Consumer.
11 August
Brazil's
BRF
'registers 1,138 Covid-19 cases at single meat plant'
A
report from new agency Reuters has revealed one of Brazilian
meat giant BRF's plants accounted for around 29% of Covid-19 cases at
slaughterhouses in Brazil's Parana state.
Quoting
recently published data from Parana health authorities, it said BRF's Toledo
unit had 1,138 confirmed Covid-19 cases out of 3,979 Covid-19 cases at all the
state's slaughterhouses up until 24 July.
In
response to Reuters, BRF said "there are no employees who
tested positive for Covid-19 currently working at its Toledo and [nearby]
Carambei units".
Carambei
and Toledo are operating normally, it said.
--
Aryzta
revenue still down but baker points to progress
The
Swiss-Irish bakery group, the subject of investor pressure and takeover
interest, said its trading "continues to improve in line with
expectations", with revenues down by around a fifth.
Aryzta
said in the month to 25 July the company's revenues were down 18% on an organic
basis. The company said its revenues were 23% lower in June, were 36% down in
May and had fallen 49% year-on-year in April.
In
Europe, Aryzta's "monthly revenue evolution is now tracking" at
around a 20% decline. The group said sales to its retail and quick-service
restaurant customers "gradually improving" but revenues to other
foodservice customers are ""still significantly down" amid
restrictions on trade due to Covid-19,
Aryzta
is seeing a similar picture in North America as some US states and cities
reinstate restrictions. In that region, the company's monthly revenue is down
by around 15%.
The
company, which is in the middle of its own strategic review, is due to hold a
shareholders' meeting called by agitating investors on 16 September to shake up
the group's board.
In
April, Aryzta hired France-based investment bank Rothschild & Co. to review
strategic options for the business, which has been struggling financially of
late, particularly in North America, one of its two key markets along with
Europe. The company raised EUR800m (US$939.4m today) in 2018 to bolster its
capital base and has sold off a number of non-strategic assets to pay down its
huge debt pile.
Cobas
Asset Management and Veraison Capital, Aryzta's two largest shareholders, have
recently called for a further EUR600m in asset disposals.
Last
month, Aryzta said it has received "unsolicited interest" in the
business from unnamed third parties.
Bloomberg reported
last month that Canada-based manufacturer and retailer George Weston was
looking at whether to bid for Aryzta. Citing unnamed sources, the outlet said
private-equity houses including Apollo Global Management and Cerberus Capital
Management were also eyeing the situation.
--
Bakkavor
to up testing at UK plant
The
private-label supplier has seen cases of Covid-19 rise at one of its factories
in England and will this week test all staff at the site.
All
1,600 employees at Bakkavor's facility in Newark will be tested. The company is
also testing its 90 agency staff at the plant.
On
Friday, Bakkavor said infections among employees at the site had risen from 20
to 39.
Last
week, Bakkavor confirmed
it will be closing another facility in the English east Midlands. It
blamed coronavirus and lost business at the start of the year for its proposal
to consolidate work across four factories at the site.
-
Covid
a factor as Thai Union announces factory closure
Thai Union
Group has decided to close one of its domestic factories, with the
seafood major citing Covid-19 as a factor.
10
August
Danish
Crown to halt operations at domestic site after Covid outbreak
Denmark-based
meat giant Danish
Crown has announced it is closing its domestic slaughterhouse in
Ringsted for a week after a Covid-19 outbreak amongst employees there.
--
Brazilian
meat giant JBS
in domestic hiring drive
JBS,
the Brazil-based meat behemoth, is looking to take on more than 5,000 staff in
its domestic market.
The
company said it was looking to hire 5,200 employees across its beef, pork and
poultry operations, spanning 16 states in Brazil.
In
a statement, JBS said the new workers were being appointed to "modernise
the lines and assist in production".
--
Premium
Brands Holdings on acquisition trail again
Canada-based
manufacturer Premium
Brands Holdings is once again on the lookout for acquisition targets
after temporarily suspending activity in May as a result of the uncertainty
surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
"Our
acquisition pipeline remains especially robust and we expect to execute a
number of transactions during the second half of the year," Premium Brands
Holdings CEO George Paleologou said.
"Covid-19
has motivated many more successful food entrepreneurs to reach out to join our
unique ecosystem. We're delighted and honoured to be able to offer them
ownership solutions that preserve their operational independence while
providing them access to our extensive resources and best-in-class
services."
7
August
Samworth
Brothers buys Urban Eat brand from defunct Adelie Foods
Samworth
Brothers, one of the UK's largest suppliers of food-to-go products, has picked
up the Urban Eat sandwich business from Adelie
Foods, the now defunct business that called in the administrators
earlier this year, citing the impact of Covid-19.
--
Irish
meat group O'Brien Fine Foods halts plant after Covid-19 cases
Ireland-based
meat group O'Brien Fine Foods has stopped processing operations at a factory
where dozens of staff have tested positive for Covid-19.
6
August
Mexican
state Oaxaca bans sale of 'junk food' to minors
The
Mexican state of Oaxaca has passed a law banning the sale of high-calorie 'junk
food' and sugary soft drinks to minors.
Mexico
has been fighting a battle against obesity, in children and adults, for some
time and many people are partly blaming the state of the nation's health for
the toll the Covid-19 virus has taken on the population. Mexico now has the
third-highest death toll in the world from the coronavirus, after the US and
Brazil, with close to 50,000 people having lost their lives so far.
--
Nomad
Foods lifts forecasts amid hot sales for frozen food
Birds
Eye owner Nomad
Foods has upped its forecasts on key sales and profitability metrics
for 2020 as the company benefited from Covid-19-fuelled demand for frozen food.
--
Beyond
Meat to expand price offensive
Beyond Meat
has expressed an ambition to "under-price animal protein" across
categories after the launch of a value pack of burgers contributed to the US
group's sales growth in the second quarter.
The
US-based meat-free group has sought to narrow the price gap between its product
and conventional meat by offering what CFO Mark Nelson has called "more
aggressive pricing and promotional programmes amid temporary dislocations in
the animal-protein market" during the pandemic.
--
TreeHouse
Foods lifts earnings forecast
The
US private-label manufacturer today upped its forecast for underlying earnings
per share after a better-than-expected second quarter.
TreeHouse
raised its guidance for 2020 "adjusted earnings from continuing
operations" to $2.55 to $2.75 per diluted share, up from a previous
forecast of $2.40 to $2.65.
The
company also said it now expects its 2020 revenue to be "at the upper
end" of its guidance of $4.1bn to $4.4bn.
"We
are encouraged by both the strength of our operations during this period of
elevated demand and the commitment of our employees to supporting our healthy
workplace protocols and processes," CEO Steve Oakland said. "The
work we performed related to our restructuring and reorganisation activities
has enabled us to flourish during this uncertain time. Our outlook for the
balance of the year assumes revenue will remain strong and takes into account
higher costs to implement and maintain heightened Covid-19 safety measures.
While macro uncertainty remains in the second half of the year, we feel
comfortable in raising our full-year adjusted EPS guidance range."
TreeHouse's
sales rose 3.7% on an organic basis as demand for foods to eat at home
"outpaced" lower demand in the away-from-home channels, the company
said. On a reported basis, TreeHouse's second-quarter net sales were $1.04bn,
versus $1.03bn a year earlier. First-half net sales stood at $2.13bn, against
$2.09bn in the corresponding period of 2019.
The
company booked a net loss of $1.5m in the second quarter, compared to a net
loss of $171.8m in the second quarter last year. TreeHouse made a first-half
net loss of $32.7m, against a net loss of $198.7m the previous year.
--
One
third of US restaurants 'face permanent closure this year'
A
report from Bloomberg suggests that as many as one in three
US restaurants may close permanently this year as a result of the economic
impact of Covid-19.
The
news agency, quoting research from restaurant consultancy Aaron Allen &
Associates, says up to 231,000 of the nation's roughly 660,000 eateries
will likely shut down before the end of December.
In
addition, Aaron Allen & Associates calculates that more than 8,000
restaurants in the US have already been directly affected by an employee with
coronavirus.
Customer
safety concerns would seem to be playing a large part in restaurants' woes.
Covid-19
cases rose in tandem with customers entering re-opened restaurants, according
to data provided to Bloomberg by Zenreach, but after reports of rising cases
emerged, walk-in traffic turned down.
Bloomberg
points out that the restaurant industry accounts for nearly 4% of U.S. gross
domestic product and employed about 8% of America's labour force before the
pandemic.
--
YouGov
global poll finds majority of people expect a recession
In
a survey conducted by YouGov, a UK-based market research and analytics firm,
most people around the world expect a recession over the next 12 months.
YouGov
polled 27,000 people across 26 "economies", with more than 50% of
people in 16 of those places anticipating a depression or recession. For the
rest of the 26, opinions ranged from 49-24%.
Mexico
tops the list of the most concerned with 75% of people expecting such a
scenario, followed by Hong Kong, France, Spain and the UK, where opinions
ranged from 65-75%.
Vietnam
is at the bottom of the list, preceded by China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and
Norway. Vietnam scored 24% of people expecting a recession, with China
registering a result of 30%, the UAE and Saudi Arabia both 33%, and Norway 41%.
However,
in Vietnam and China, more than 50% of people expect their economies to remain
stable. In the US, 47% see a recession, while in Germany the figure is 57%.
5
August
Direct-to-consumer
(D2C) has gained in prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, with noticeable
interest among a raft of packaged food manufacturers.
Relative
to the recent flurry of activity in setting up direct-to-consumer services, Mars was ahead
of the curve somewhat last year when the owner of the M&Ms confectionery
brand acquired a majority stake in Germany's Foodspring, a manufacturer of
sports nutrition and health-and-wellness products.
D2C
has become a channel a growing number of senior executives in the food industry
expect to stay relevant beyond the pandemic, including Jean-Christophe Flatin,
the president of innovation, science and technology at Mars, who spoke to
just-food's Simon Harvey about the US giant's work with Foodspring and the
impact Covid-19 has had on the wider industry's interest in D2C.
--
UK
private-label major Bakkavor has confirmed that it will be closing a facility
in the English east Midlands following consultation with employees and trade
unions.
Some
500 people are impacted by the decision.
The
company, which supplies fresh food to the country's largest grocers, said in June
that it was considering the future of a salad facility in Spalding,
Lincolnshire.
It
blamed coronavirus and lost business at the start of the year for its proposal
to consolidate work across four factories at the site.
--
New
Zealand's Sanford plans to close fish processing plant
New
Zealand seafood business Sanford plans to close its fish processing facility in
the coastal city of Tauranga partly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
--
Finnebrogue
boss calls for regular Covid testing for food workers
The
founder and chairman of UK meat and plant-based food
manufacturer Finnebrogue Artisan is calling for regular Covid testing for
workers in the industry in Northern Ireland, where it is based.
Denis
Lynn, chairman of Finnebrogue Artisan, was quoted in The Irish News
newspaper as saying a lack of regular testing represented a "failure
to provide the coronavirus defence our fantastic food heroes deserve".
The
quote is from a letter he has written to Robin Swann, Northern Ireland's
Minister for Health, asking for a testing programme for food production
workers in England to be replicated in the province.
The
Naked Bacon producer employs 850 people at its base in Downpatrick.
It
said it has introduced a comprehensive Covid action plan as part of an
investment in excess of GBP1m (US$1.31m) to keep staff safe.
The
company provides protective masks, has introduced daily pre-shift
health-screening, installed perspex dividers on production lines
and enforced social distancing with marshals on factory floors.
In
his letter to Swann, Lynn wrote: "Food production staff have
stepped up, performed an essential national service and deserve all of our gratitude.
"But
more than just warm words, they deserve to be defended from the virus - and it
is our duty to do everything we possibly can to do just that.
"Regular
testing for key food production workers will be the key to spotting outbreaks
early and stopping them spreading."
--
New
Zealand government reveals package of food initiatives
The
New Zealand government has said it will fund healthy food initiatives to help
food producers recover from Covid-19 and to "connect Kiwis with
affordable, safe and wholesome food".
Announcing
the scheme, Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said: "The global
pandemic has disrupted food supply chains and food retailers, making it
difficult for some New Zealanders to access to affordable and healthy food and
risking significant food waste."
The
Government has already set aside NZD14.9m (US$9.9m) over two years to redirect
food that would otherwise be wasted to those in need.
It
is also meeting the cost of processing and distributing surplus pork meat to
families in need to help resolve an oversupply of New Zealand pork.
The
Government has also provided NZD$32m for funding foodbanks and food rescue.
Amongst
new initiatives, which will receive initial funding of up to NZD100,000 each
for a ten-week development and trial period, are an online marketplace for food
producers to list surplus product, a produce box-based supply channel, capable
of providing a selection of produce to vulnerable households impacted by
Covid-19, an online marketplace platform focused on supporting the smaller
in-shore fishing fleet by connecting fishers directly with local consumers and
an online marketplace which uses a algorithm to connect consumers to local
producers and a delivery service.
4
August
Tyson
Foods prepared for "prolonged pandemic-related uncertainty"
Tyson Foods
is preparing for a drawn-out pandemic by adjusting its manufacturing capacity
to cater to the increased demand from retail amid the pressure on out-of-home
sales, which is expected to continue to weigh on volumes even as it starts to
recover.
--
French
veg giant Bonduelle
sees sales wilt
Bonduelle,
the France-based, international supplier of canned and frozen veg, has reported
a slide in quarterly sales during the three months to the end of June.
In
the period to 30 June, Bonduelle's fiscal fourth quarter, the company booked a
6.3% fall in revenue to EUR651.4m, which amounted to a decline of 6% on a
like-for-like basis.
Bonduelle
pointed to the "abrupt shutdown" of its foodservice customers in the
spring, as well as "a drop in store traffic", which the company said
affected "mostly the frozen and fresh food" products.
Sales
of its canned products "progressed strongly" during the quarter but
could not offset the pressure elsewhere in its portfolio.
Bonduelle,
which is scheduled to report its full annual financial results on 28 September,
said its full-year sales rose 2.8% to EUR2.85bn, or by 1.4% on a like-for-like
basis.
--
Inghams
confirms Victoria restrictions to affect plants
Australia-based
poultry business Inghams has said its two meat processing plants in the state
of Victoria face a six-week period of restricted operations as local government
officials try to dampen down Covid-19 in the region.
Curbs
on meat production are included in new "stage four" lockdown measures
covering the state announced by Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday
(3 August).
Those
restrictions will impact operations at Inghams' two meat processing facilities
at Somerville and Thomastown.
However,
the restrictions do not apply to other assets and facilities in the company's
integrated supply chain such as its hatcheries, farms, feed mill or logistics
operations.
Inghams'
Thomastown further processing plant only reopened yesterday after a two-week
shutdown because of an outbreak of Covid-19 amongst its employees there.
In
a stock-exchange filing today, Inghams said: "We are currently advised
that the restrictions will apply a 33% reduction in the workforce at these
plants from peak production staffing levels at any one time, as well as some
additional safety initiatives.
"Whilst
we await the formal Victorian government directive to provide further certainty
on the detail of the restrictions, Ingham's management are working through the
implications for the reduced workforce at both our Victorian processing sites,
and looking to minimise the impact of the restrictions through use of other
processing sites in the Ingham's network and inventory that we have on
hand."
CEO
Jim Leighton said: "The measures announced in Victoria will require our
team to manage more complexity, but we are unwavering in our objectives of
ensuring the health and safety of our people, preventing the spread of Covid-19
in our facilities and in Victoria, ensuring the highest standards of animal
welfare, and servicing our customers and consumers in Australia and New
Zealand."
--
Keytone
Dairy launches D2C service
Keytone
Dairy, the New Zealand dairy business, has decided to start selling select
products to consumers directly.
The
company, listed in Australia, is offering consumers the chance to buy KeyDairy-branded
milk powders via keydairy.co.
"This
new e-commerce website for the company offers a further distribution channel
for the company's milk powders and importantly further validation and access
for local consumers targeting international markets," Keytone said today
(4 August). "The KeyDairy product range will continue to be rolled out as
products and packaging are redesigned and released to market in the short
term."
Meanwhile,
Keytone said its manufacturing facilities in the Australian state of Victoria –
which has implemented new lockdown measures after a spike in Covid-19 cases –
would continue to operate.
--
Meat
production cut in Australian lockdown measures
Meat
production in Victoria is to be scaled back as part of new lockdown measures
after a jump in Covid-19 cases in Australia's second most populous state.
31 July
Tyson
Foods faces complaints over safe working environment claim
US
meat major Tyson Foods has been accused of making false claims in a new
complaint filed with the country's Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Legal
firm Richman Law Group filed the complaint on behalf of pressure group Food and
Water Watch and poultry workers' rights organisation Venceremos.
They
are accusing Tyson of making two false claims to consumers. Firstly, that the
company works with "independent" family farmers and, secondly, that
it provides plant workers with a "safe work environment."
The
groups argue that worker deaths and illness tied to Coronavirus outbreaks at
Tyson processing plants prove that the company's claim that it provides a
"safe work environment" is false.
And
they point out that Tyson Foods contracts with farmers to raise their chickens
until they are ready to be shipped to plants for processing. The groups argue
that the characterisation of these farmers as "independent" is false
and misleading to consumers.
Zach
Corrigan, senior staff attorney at Food & Water Watch, said: "Despite
what it publicly claims, Tyson workers are far from safe. In fact, they're
among the most often and most seriously injured workers in America. Consumers
have a legal right to fair and honest claims regarding the products they might
buy, and Tyson is clearly failing to meet this standard.
"The
FTC needs to act now and compel Tyson to tell the alarming truth about the
worker safety and public health impacts of its products."
In
a statement sent to just-food, Tyson said: "At Tyson, our top priority is
the health and safety of our team members, their families and our communities.
We take this responsibility very seriously and are doing everything we can to
keep them safe and healthy. Our team members are committed to feeding the
world, and that begins with the relationships we have with our independent
livestock and poultry farmers and ranchers who provide us with high-quality
protein. They are helping us supply safe, affordable, high quality beef, pork
and chicken to our customers and consumers during this exceptionally
unprecedented and trying time."
--
Tesco extends
improved payment terms for small suppliers
Tesco,
the UK's biggest grocer, has announced it will be extending its improved
payment terms for its smaller suppliers until 31 January 2021.
The
measure was introduced to help such suppliers manage their cash flow during the
difficult trading environment created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It
means nearly 2,000 suppliers will continue to have their invoices paid
immediately, instead of the usual 14 days.
"This
extension of Tesco's improved payment terms will mean small businesses will
continue to be supported throughout the busy Christmas period and beyond,"
the retailer said.
Tesco
chief product officer Andrew Yaxley added: "With uncertainty in the food
sector continuing, it's vital we do all we can to support the small suppliers
we partner with."
-
Executives
divided about economic recovery from Covid - survey
A
survey by management consultancy McKinsey & Company has found that in North
America and in developing markets executives have become less hopeful since
early June about their countries' economies and more cautious in their views on
potential scenarios for Covid-19 recovery.
McKinsey's
latest Global Survey on the economy, published yesterday (30 July), revealed
that overall expectations in these areas suggest "growing caution and
uncertainty".
But
elsewhere in the world respondents' outlooks about their countries' economies
have improved in most regions over the past four surveys.
And
respondents' outlook for their own companies is more optimistic.
"For
the first time in 2020, respondents are more likely to expect their companies'
profits to increase than decrease in the months ahead," McKinsey said.
Turning
to the consumer goods sector, McKinsey's research suggests the future is about
three things: getting better at predicting demand, being alive to all the ways
sales might be increased and using agile techniques to sustain the
"hard-won momentum".
It
added: "For retailers - particularly grocers, apparel companies, and
restaurants - the way forward starts with new ideas about revenue management (a
fundamental rethink of products, pricing, and promotions might be in order) and
about operating models (especially store footprints, which will depend on how
soon cities reopen)."
-
Tyson
Foods launches new Covid monitoring strategy
US
meat giant Tyson Foods has launched a new nationwide Covid monitoring strategy.
The
Arkansas-headquartered business, which has seen a number of its production
facilities hit by outbreaks of the virus amongst its employees, said the new
monitoring system has been designed with the assistance of outside medical
experts and includes ongoing, data-driven Covid testing of workers without
symptoms, as well as those who exhibit certain symptoms or have been in close
contact with someone who has the virus.
Donnie
King, Tyson Foods group president and chief administrative officer, said:
"While the protective measures we've implemented in our facilities are
working well, we remain vigilant about keeping our team members safe and are
always evaluating ways to do more.
"We
believe launching a new, strategic approach to monitoring and adding the health
staff to support it will help further our efforts to go on the offensive
against the virus."
Tyson
has already tested nearly a third of its workforce and said it plans to test
thousands of workers every week across all of its facilities.
To
support the effort, Tyson Foods has created a chief medical officer position
and plans to add almost 200 nurses and administrative support personnel to
supplement the more than 400 people currently part of the company's health
services team.
30
July
Yet
more impairment charges at Kraft Heinz, H1 sales rise
Kraft
Heinz today
(30 July) booked a fresh set of impairment charges alongside a set of half-year
results that included higher sales and underlying earnings.
--
Kellogg
lifts FY sales, earnings forecasts
Kellogg today
(30 July) raised its forecasts for key sales and profit metrics in 2020, with
the US cereal and snacks major reporting first-half revenue and earnings that came
in above its expectations.
--
Nestle
cuts organic growth guidance amid Covid-related restrictions
Nestlé
has lowered its forecast for the company's growth in sales on an organic basis
amid the volatility of trading against the backdrop of Covid-19.
The
KitKat maker had previously guided to a "continued increase in organic
sales growth" for 2020 having posted a 3.5% increase last year. But today,
while it provided a more specific outlook, it now expects organic sales
growth to slow to between 2% and 3%. The underlying trading operating profit
margin (UTOP) is "expected to improve".
"This
guidance is based on our current knowledge of Covid-19 developments and assumes
no material deterioration versus present conditions," Nestlé said.
--
How
Covid-19 is speeding up Mondelez's push for simplicity
On
our analysis pages, we've published the key takeaways from Mondelez
International's first-half financial results.
The
US snacks major saw its first-half net revenue rise more than 3% but sales
slowed in the second quarter, hit by Covid-19-related factors in Europe and in
emerging markets such as India.
More
strategically, Mondelez chairman and CEO Dirk Van de Put made some interesting
comments about how the virus - and the way consumer shopping habits have
changed - is playing into the company's thinking about its product ranges.
"We
have an opportunity to simplify our business," Van de Put said. The
Mondelez chief said the pursuit of growth can lead CPG companies to have too
many products in their portfolios and too many innovation projects on the go.
Covid-19 had presented Mondelez with an opportunity to
"re-accelerate" its efforts to have a "cleaner portfolio",
he said.
You
can read
the full article here.
--
Canada's
George Weston hit by Covid-related costs
Canada-based
food manufacturer and grocer George Weston has reported that it incurred
CAD312m (US$232.4m) of Covid-19-related costs in its second quarter.
The
owner of bakery supplier Weston Foods and retailer Loblaw made
a net loss of CAD255m during the three month period to 13 June as a result.
During the same period last year it made a profit of CAD184m.
Weston
Foods has adjusted its capex plans and reduced its SG&A in an attempt to
mitigate costs.
George
Weston, which described this period as a "challenging and dynamic"
time, saw its sales increase during the quarter to CAD12.36bn from CAD11.6bn in
the corresponding period in 2019.
The
company said Weston Foods' sales had improved since the end of Q2. CFO Richard
Dufresne said: "While sales for the quarter were down 14%, the last four
weeks were down only 5% compared to last year."
It
added that it is also starting to see a strong recovery in the re-emerging
foodservice channel.
--
JBS
spends nearly $20m in three months fighting Covid-19
Brazilian
meat giant JBS has revealed that it spent BRL100m (US$19.3m) in the March to
June period in an attempt to tackle Covid-19.
It
investments include expanding its bus fleet, new PPE equipment, the
installation of outpatient structures, vaccinating employees members and
hiring additional labour.
In
a statement to the Brazilian stock exchange, on which it is listed, it said the
resources were allocated to dozens of actions that are part of the prevention
and protection protocol of more than 130,000 employees at its production units,
distribution centres, offices and other premises in Brazil.
Between
March and June JBS hired more than 10,000 people to take the places of
employees who had been preventatively kept at home.
-
Los
Angeles authorities shut down facilities after Covid-19 outbreaks
The
Los Angeles Times newspaper is reporting that local health officials have
ordered the temporary closure of three food facilities that they
said failed to report outbreaks that sickened more than 140 employees.
According
to the newspaper's report, citing the city's Department of Public Health, the
companies affected are S&S Foods in Azusa, with 58 confirmed
cases, Golden State Foods Corp. in Industry with 43 cases and Mission
Foods Corp. in Commerce, with 40 cases.
It
quoted Barbara Ferrer, director of the health department, as saying: "We
were not notified - as we're required to be notified once they had their
three cases - and our inspectors have asked them to make some
modifications to really enhance their infection control protocols at all three
sites."
28
July
UK
food-to-go market may not recover for two years, Greencore CEO cautions
The
UK's food-to-go market may not see sales fully recover to pre-Covid-19 levels
for another two years, Patrick Coveney, the CEO of major supplier Greencore,
said today (28 July).
--
General
Mills to increase third-party manufacturing as Covid-19 elevates demand
US
food major General Mills, the owner of the Yoplait
yogurt brand, plans to increase the use of co-manufacturers to keep up with the
elevated demand from the coronavirus pandemic.
--
J&J
Snack Foods sees sales take battering from Covid-19 restrictions
US-based
J&J Snack Foods has seen its Q3 sales slump by 34% on a year-on-year basis
as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The
New Jersey snacks and ices business, behind brands such as Slush Puppie and
Minute Maid, said it was hit hard during the period in question - the three
months up to 27 June - as around two thirds of its sales are to venues and
locations that have shut down or sharply curtailed their foodservice
operations.
And
it said it anticipates Covid-19 will "continue to have a negative impact
on its business".
Sales
decreased 34% to US$214.6m from $326.7m in last year's third quarter.
It
also recorded a net loss of $12.6m in this year's quarter compared to net
earnings of $30.9m for the equivalent period last year. An operating loss of
$19.4m in the current quarter compared to operating income of $39.0m in the
year ago quarter.
Dan
Fachner, J&J's president, said: "Our retail division was strong as
that end of the business continues to outperform the previous year. Much of the
foodservice locations are slow to open but we continue to see improvement
during our current quarter."
-
Amazon
set to take on UK supermarkets with free food delivery
UK
broadcaster the BBC is reporting that online retail giant Amazon is
set to take on the country's supermarkets with a free food delivery service.
Buoyed
by the rapid growth in online sales of groceries during the Covid-19 pandemic,
Amazon is said to be keen to get a larger piece of the UK grocery trade on
a permanent basis.
According
to the BBC report, Amazon Fresh, which provides same or next-day
grocery deliveries for customers in London and the surrounding Home Counties,
will now offer free delivery on orders over GBP40 (US$51.48) to Amazon Prime
subscribers.
The
BBC reports Amazon as saying it will roll out this service to
"multiple cities" by the end of this year.
Amazon
has about 10,000 products including fresh, chilled and frozen food on sale in
the UK.
Russell
Jones, country manager of Amazon Fresh UK, told the broadcaster: "We've
been planning this for a long time. It's a big step up in volume. In the early
days of lockdown all our capacity was being used. We're confident that we can
launch this service now at this point in time."
However,
Thomas Brereton, retail analyst at London-based research and analysis group
GlobalData, suggested Amazon will not find the switch to full-time grocery
provider an easy one.
"At
the moment, people don't really consider Amazon for food. They've got to build
brand awareness and that takes time and a lot of investment," he told the BBC.
"Food
and non-food retailing are two very different concepts, and Amazon must be
careful not to underestimate the competitiveness of the UK grocery
market."
--
Greencore
offloads unit as Q3 sales down 30%+
Greencore,
the Ireland-based convenience foods manufacturer, has reported its
third-quarter revenue fell by more than a third amid pressure on its food-to-go
sales.
London-listed
Greencore, one of the largest private-label suppliers in the UK, said revenues
had "recovered progressively as restrictions on population movements have
eased"
However,
they were still down by almost a quarter in July so far.
On
a pro-forma basis, Greencore said its third-quarter revenue dropped 36% but was
"23% below prior year levels in July to date"
The
group pointed to "encouraging sequential improvement of demand in
food-to-go categories through Q3 and into Q4".
Over
the first nine months of Greencore's financial year, reported revenue dropped
10.6% to GBP953.3m (US$1.23bn) and food-to-go declined 16.9%. Other categories
rose 1.4%.
Greencore,
meanwhile, said it had agreed to sell its molasses businesses to United
Molasses Marketing.
27
July
Why
UK obesity reset is watershed moment – in more ways than one
Covid-19
– and Boris Johnson's severe illness from the virus – has prompted significant
changes to UK obesity policy.
And,
in this free-to-read column, just-food contributing editor Ben Cooper
believes the food industry should already be pondering what might come next.
--
UK
unveils plan to tackle "obesity time bomb"
Restrictions
on advertising and promotions are among measures the UK has announced today (27
July) to fight obesity, moves the food industry have labelled "a punishing
blow".
--
How
India's Covid-19 lockdown has sparked interest in direct-to-consumer
Domestic
giants and foreign multinationals have invested in D2C delivery amid India's
Covid-19 lockdowns, just-food's Raghavendra Verma reports from New Delhi.
--
German
sales of vegan, vegetarian products rose to EUR85m in first quarter
Sales
of vegetarian and vegan products in Germany rose 36% in the first quarter to
EUR85.1m (US$99.6m), according to the statistical office.
Volumes
climbed 37% to 20,000 tonnes from a year earlier, the German Federal
Statistical Office said, adding that the value of meat substitute products for
the whole of last year amounted to EUR272.8m. In comparison, the production
value of meat, poultry and processed meat in 2019 totalled EUR40.1bn.
--
24 July
Covid-19
infections at UK meat group Moy Park
UK
meat processor Moy Park, owned by US poultry giant Pilgrim's
Pride, has confirmed staff at a site in Northern Ireland have been
diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
A
"small number" of employees at the facility in Ballymena have tested
positive for Covid-19, Moy Park told broadcaster ITV News.
In
May, Moy Park confirmed
the death of an employee from Covid-19 at a plant in County Tyrone. The
member of staff worked at the company's facility on Killington Road, Dungannon.
In
March, UK meat processor Moy Park saw
workers at one of its plants stage a walkout over Covid-19 safety fears.
The
Northern Ireland-based company said 100 workers downed tools to stage a
15-minute walkout at its Seagoe, Portadown, on 25 March.
Trade
union Unite said the protest concerned what workers saw as a lack of measures
to combat the spread of coronavirus.
--
Hershey
discusses challenges for Hallowe'en, market-share gains and e-commerce surge –
H1 takeaways
The
US snacks major noted some pluses around market share and e-commerce as the
confectionery maker reported a drop in first-half sales amid shifts in consumer
patterns linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hershey
might have seen its sales decline in the second quarter at the peak of the
coronavirus outbreak but analysts were impressed with the category gains
achieved in its key North American market, despite the inherent challenges.
"Hershey
has outperformed the category, with sales growth across brands that accelerated
as we progressed through the quarter," Buck told analysts during a Q&A
follow-up session yesterday. "Our category share grew 225 basis points in
the second quarter, bringing our year-to-date share gain to 150 basis points.
Importantly, we are winning share in every channel this year."
And
Buck said the demand pick-up evidenced in June is also feeding into July.
"We haven't really seen any material changes in July versus our trends.
There are some geographic differences, just given the big differential across
geographies as a result of Covid. I would say we're feeling good about what we
continue to see."
--
At-home
food "hidden jewel" as Unilever's H1 surprises market – 5 things to
learn
After
Unilever's
performance in the first three months of 2020, expectations going into the
reporting of the company's half-year numbers were subdued.
But
the consumer-goods major posted six-month sales and margins that beat City
expectations, sending the Magnum maker's share price soaring.
Across
Unilever's divisions, the results came in better than had been expected,
including, strikingly, at the company's Food and Refreshment division, despite
the severe impact Covid-19 has had on the foodservice market.
As
with many packaged-food manufacturers, Unilever got a boost from the rise in
demand for food at home as the global lockdowns of April, May and into June
reshaped consumption. "The hidden jewel in the portfolio has been our
in-home, food and refreshment portfolio," Unilever CEO Alan Jope said this
morning.
That's
not to say Unilever does not face challenges. The recovery of the foodservice
market is likely to be gradual and uneven, slowing the rate of any rebound for
the company's Food Solutions arm. And, as Unilever CFO Graeme Pitkethly told
analysts, it is "inevitable" there will be a global economic
downturn, adding: "What we don't know is the depth and length of that and
we don't know which countries are going to be hit hardest as yet."
Navigating that uncertainty will present tests on pricing, positioning and
innovation.
22
July
Unilever
shuts India plant amid Covid-19 infections
Unilever
has closed a factory in India after staff at the facility tested positive for
Covid-19.
The
FMCG giant told just-food workers at the plant in the northern city of Haridwar
had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
--
Lamb
Weston linked to 100 Covid cases at Oregon plant
US
potato products manufacturer Lamb Weston has been linked to a large-scale
outbreak of Covid-19 at its French fry facility in Hermiston, Oregon.
The
Oregonian newspaper, quoting data released by the Oregon Health Authority,
said 100 workers at the plant have now contracted the virus, as well as 42 of
their close contacts.
It
reported that the outbreak at Lamb Weston's plant has quickly grown into
one of the largest workplace outbreaks in the state after the company was
informed on 15 June that four employees had tested positive for the virus.
A
company spokesperson told the newspaper that no Lamb Weston employees have been
hospitalised as a result of the outbreak.
The
facility has only just reopened after an earlier closure linked to an outbreak
of the virus.
just-food
has contacted Lamb Weston seeking further details.
--
Australia's
Inghams Group announces temporary closure of facility
Inghams
Group, the Australia-based poultry business, has announced the temporary
closure of a domestic facility after an outbreak of Covid-19 amongst its
employees there.
Some
five employees at its Thomastown Further Processing Plant in Victoria have
returned positive test results for the virus.
In
a statement this morning (22 July) to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX),
on which it is listed, Inghams said the site has been temporarily closed with
all employees requested to self-isolate at home.
CEO
and managing director Jim Leighton said: "It is imperative that we
continue do everything possible to ensure the health and safety of our people,
communities and to assist in controlling the spread of the coronavirus."
Ingham's
said it has been working with the Victorian Department of Health to ensure all
appropriate protocols are in place.
It
added that it will be working with its customers to minimise supply chain
disruptions and that it does not see the closure materially impacting its 2021
results.
Victoria
has been especially badly hit by the virus of late with a record high of
191 new Covid-19 cases on 7 July prompting the authorities there to
reintroduce restrictions across metropolitan Melbourne.
21
July
UK
grocery sales growth slows as lockdown eased
Research
published today has revealed that UK grocery sales growth has slowed as the
country starts to emerge from the lockdown imposed as a result of
the Covid-19 pandemic.
Market
researcher Nielsen reported that grocery sales in the country rose 10%
year-on-year in the four weeks to 11 July, down from 14% in last month's
report.
The
data would seem to reflect the fact that hospitality and leisure outlets
started to reopen in England over the period.
Pubs,
cafes and restaurants in England were allowed to re-open on 4 July.
Nielsen
said online grocery purchases leapt 115% year-on-year, accounting for a record
14% of all grocery spending in the UK.
Commenting
on the findings, HSBC Global Research said: "As the economy opens up,
growth is normalising but is still impressive."
--
Bank
of England economist says UK in V-shaped recovery
Andy
Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England, has said the UK economy is
experiencing a V-shaped recovery from the downturn caused by the Covid-19
outbreak.
Haldane
told MPs on Monday (20 July) that the economy had been growing on average at
about 1% a week since May.
The
Guardian newspaper reported him as saying: "Roughly half of the
roughly 25% fall in activity during March and April has been clawed back over
the period since. We have seen a bounce-back. So far, it has been a V. That, of
course, doesn't tell us about where we might go next."
But
the newspaper reported that he has disagreed with fellow Bank of
England monetary policy committee member Silvana Tenreyro, who said the
economy was struggling to grow and would stumble over the course of the next
few months as consumers maintained physical distancing.
Tenreyro
said the threat of rising unemployment meant Britain's economy was probably
heading for an incomplete V-shaped recovery.
20
July
Dutch
restaurant industry 'seeks court injunction on social distancing'
Restaurants
and bars have reportedly taken the Dutch government to court, seeking a
relaxation of the rules on social distancing.
Koninklijke
Horeca Nederland (KHN) is instituting summary proceedings, Dutch TV news
broadcaster RTL Nieuws reported.
KHN
opposes the rules stating patrons must be one-and-a-half metres from each
other.
Relaxing
the measure is "the only way to save our industry and prevent catering
companies from going bankrupt en masse", KHN said, according to RTL
Nieuws.
The
proceedings are on Thursday (23 July).
--
PHW
Gruppe plant 'remains open despite Covid-19 cases'
A
German meat-processing plant where more than 60 staff have tested positive for
the virus is to remain open, local reports say.
The
facility, part of German major PHW Gruppe, has seen 66 employees at the site in
Lohne, in the north of the country, infected.
German
broadcaster NDR, citing a statement issued yesterday by PHW Gruppe subsidiary
Wiesenhof, said 48 of the 66 affected staff are contract workers, with a
further five temporary staff.
The
company has agreed with local health officials that a further 95 other workers
at the site – run by Wiesenhof's Oldenburger Geflügelspezialitäten (OGS) unit –
should be quarantined.
In
a statement, Wiesenhof said it would carry out a "complete
disinfection" of the plant. "According to the competent authority,
OGS has developed a coherent hygiene policy and the relevant rules are
implemented very well on site."
--
Asda HQ staff
told to return to office
Headquarters
staff at UK 'big four' supermarket Asda have been told to return to work at
least once a week from next month.
It
is the first such move from a major UK grocer.
The
UK's third largest grocer said it expected all its staff to spend at least some
time in the head office in Leeds in northern England every week from the start
of August after putting in place measures to ensure social distancing.
The
UK's The Guardian newspaper reported that up to 1,000 employees will
be able to work in the office at any one time.
An
Asda spokesman told the newspaper: "The number of colleagues returning to
the office has gradually increased as they see the benefits of balancing home
and office working, and our expectation is that all colleagues will spend some
time in the office each week from the start of August onwards."
--
SIAL
Paris trade event rescheduled to October 2022
The
biennial SIAL food industry trade show in Paris has effectively been cancelled
this year, with the event moved to October 2022.
Organisers
Comexposium Group said on Friday (17 July) the event was due to be held this
autumn but has now been rescheduled to 15-19 October 2022.
"To
enable such an international event to take place during this pandemic-hit
period, SIAL Paris had planned a wide range of initiatives. However,
following consultations with exhibitors and visitors, and in view of an
uncertain international public health environment, the results of the survey
have shifted substantially in recent days, eventually leading to a majority
wishing to see the event put off," Comexposium said in a statement.
"SIAL
Paris will continue to propose content and will offer a series of new
events from October 2020 onwards dealing with major global issues, trends
and innovation that are set to shape the food industry of the future."
17
July
Fonterra
points to improvements in China
The
dairy co-op has cited "improved market conditions" in China for
changes the forecasts for what the New Zealand group estimates it will pay
farmers for milk at the end of upcoming financial year.
Fonterra
today (17 July) made changes two forecasts – the farmgate milk price it will
pay for its 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years.
The
2019/20 fiscal period comes to a close at the end of July. Fonterra said the
forecast range of prices it has in place has narrowed from NZD7.10-7.30
(US$4.65-4.78) per kilogram of milk solids to NZD7.10-7.20 per kgMS. The
mid-point, off which farmers are paid, has reduced to NZD7.15 per kgMS, down
from NZD7.20 per kgMS.
However,
looking further ahead, Fonterra said its 2020/21 forecast farmgate milk price
range has narrowed from NZD5.40-6.90 per kgMS to NZD5.90-6.90. The
mid-point has increased to NZD6.40, up from NZD6.15.
Commenting
on the 2020/21 forecast, Fonterra chairman John Monaghan said the lift to the
bottom end of the range was being predominantly driven by improved market
conditions in China.
"After
an initial shock due to Covid-19, dairy consumption in China is recovering with
more people spending on food. We're seeing customers ramp up promotional
activity as they look to catch up on the sales losses incurred over lockdown.
"Elsewhere,
the EU and US governments' support measures for farmers are holding up milk
production and dairy commodity prices despite the disruption they have
experienced so far from Covid-19. While we expect these support measures to end
at some point, it is likely they will continue through the peak of the New
Zealand season.
"While
there is still a high level of uncertainty in our global markets, we do see a
lowering level of risk and this supports a decision to lift the bottom end of
the price range.
16 July
Astral Foods'
chairman and CEO contract coronavirus
South
Africa's Astral Foods said the poultry processor's chairman and chief executive
have both contracted coronavirus.
Both
chairman Dr. Theuns Eloff and CEO Chris Schutte are self-isolating at home having
tested positive for the virus, the company said in a statement today (16 July).
It added Schutte is classed as "high-risk" after he underwent heart
surgery last summer and is under the supervision of physicians.
Chief
financial officer Daan Ferreira is the main point of contact in the meantime.
--
Tönnies
permitted to reopen part of Covid-19 hit German plant
Tönnies,
which is at the centre of a Covid-19 outbreak at one of its meat plants in
north-west Germany, has reportedly been allowed to reopen part of the complex
following an agreement on "new health, safety and hygiene concepts".
In
June, more
than 1,000 workers at part of the complex in the town of
Rheda-Wiedenbrück, located in the district of Gütersloh, North
Rhine-Westphalia, tested positive for the virus, and the affected site was
ordered to shut until 17 July. The outbreak led to a wider lockdown of the
local community in an attempt to curb the spread, measures that were lifted on
6 July.
Reuters
reported part of the site was allowed to reopen yesterday (15 July) following
clearance from the Rheda-Wiedenbrueck local government authority.
The
reopened sections have 597 employees involved in slaughtering and seven in
meat processing and work can start immediately, the authority said.
Toennies
has also applied for the reopening of the rest of its meatpacking plant, the
authority said. Health and safety experts will visit the plant today to examine
the company's hygiene concept and a test reopening is possible on Friday, it
said, according to Reuters.
just-food
has approached the company for comment.
--
JBS
workers in US file complaints against company
Workers
at a JBS plant in Greeley, Colorado, have filed a number of complaints against
the Brazilian meat giant.
American
broadcaster CBS said the trades union which represents workers at
the plant, UFCW Local 7, sent a letter to JBS yesterday (15 July) asking for
hazard pay and a safer working environment, demands that led to a brief walkout
last Friday (10 July).
Amongst
its complaints are claims that the management team is not wearing protective
equipment, social distancing is not being observed and Covid-19 testing is not
being offered on a daily basis.
The
union is also unhappy that JBS allegedly met with workers directly to discuss
issues rather than going through the union.
CBS
quoted union president Kim Cordova as saying it had filed a complaint with the
National Labor Relations Board, stating direct dealings violate the National
Labor Relations Act.
A
spokesperson for JBS told CBS the company has agreed to increase wages
at all of its beef and pork facilities across the US.
In
a statement to the broadcaster it said: "We are hopeful the local union
will allow for a democratic vote on the offered increase so that our Greeley
beef team members and their families can benefit from the extra pay that JBS
USA plants across the country have overwhelmingly approved and currently enjoy,"
CBS
said JBS has reported six deaths and 286 cases of Covid-19 at the Greeley plant
since the pandemic began.
--
Tesco
boss calls for comprehensive UK food strategy
The
chief executive of Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket group, has called
for a comprehensive UK food strategy that brings together health,
environment and the economy.
Writing
on the FT Online website, Dave Lewis said: "What's clear to me is
that we do not take a whole-society approach to food.
"We
face the worst public health crisis in generations. Economic contraction
threatens the livelihoods of millions. And the point of no return on climate
rapidly approaches."
Lewis
said the government-commissioned independent review of a UK national food strategy,
which will soon publish its first report, must address these issues.
"But
heavy-duty change cannot be left to the market. The right regulatory context,
access to capital and incentives to innovate are critical," he said.
Lewis,
who steps down from the top job at Tesco in October, argued land needed to
be used more efficiently, soil health improved, forests and habitats protected,
carbon emission targets met, animal welfare and food safety standards upheld
through trade negotiations and more healthy eating encouraged.
-
China
'asks Brazil to stop exports from two meat plants' over Covid concerns
Reports
suggest says the Chinese government has asked Brazil to suspend exports from
two unnamed meat plants over concerns about Covid-19 outbreaks in food-processing
facilities in the South American country,
New
agency Reuters, quoting "a person with direct knowledge of the
matter", said of the two plants China would like to block, one produces
beef and the other processes poultry.
Brazilian
newspaper Valor Econômico has also reported the request, said to have
been delivered in a letter to the Brazilian Embassy in Beijing.
Reuters
said the letter from the Chinese authorities also requested information related
to 12 other meat plants, seeking to find out whether media reports of Covid-19
outbreaks in those facilities were true.
Brazil's
Agriculture Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
--
Argentina
suspends exports from eight meat plants to China after Covid outbreak
Argentina
has suspended exports to China from eight meatpacking plants after an outbreak
of Covid-19 amongst employees, Reuters has reported.
The
news agency quoted Argentina's food quality and safety body, Senasa.
It
said Senasa spokesperson Rodrigo Conti updated the number of plants
suspended from shipping to China to eight on Wednesday (15 July) after
Senasa chief Carlos Alberto Paz said earlier in the day it had been six plants
that were temporarily blocked from shipping to China.
"As
soon as factories are in a position to re-export, we will give them the
go-ahead once again," Paz said.
15
July
Finsbury
Food Group reopens Kara foodservice facility
The
UK's Finsbury Food Group has reopened a plant producing buns and rolls for the
foodservice sector after closing the site in March due to reduced demand linked
to the pandemic.
The
Kara facility, located in the city of Manchester, reopened in June, UK-based
Finsbury said in a trading update today (15 July) for the 12 months ended 27
June.
"The
implementation of lockdown effectively meant that demand in the foodservice and
food-to-go sectors, which together accounted for approximately 20% of total
group revenue in fiscal 2019, reduced to almost nil overnight before gradually
recovering to 39% of prior year levels for quarter four," Finsbury
said.
Group
revenues for the year dropped almost 3% to GBP306.3m (US$385.7m), while
revenues for its UK bakery division decreased 2.6%. Finsbury's overseas unit
saw revenues decline 4.9%.
"Following
a strong first-half performance, which saw group revenues grow 4.7% to
GBP159.4m, performance in the second half was impacted by the outbreak of the
Covid-19 pandemic, with sales down 9.8% to GBP146.9m," it added.
--
Australia's
competition regulator extends working agreement for food retailers
Australia's
competition regulator has said the country's major supermarkets can continue to
work together to ensure the supply of food and groceries during the pandemic under
an earlier directive.
The
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said the ruling applies
to Coles,
Woolworths, Metcash
and Aldi –
which can opt out - and allows the supermarkets to coordinate with each other
when working with manufacturers, suppliers, and transport and logistics
providers, and will stand until March.
It
does not, however, apply to pricing for "any retail products".
ACCC
commissioner Stephen Ridgeway said. "The authorisation facilitates
supermarkets working together to ensure everyone, including vulnerable
consumers or those from rural and remote areas, have fair and reliable access
to fresh food, groceries and other household goods."
--
Aldi
to buy surplus produce from UK cheesemakers
Supermarket
group Aldi is to buy nearly four tonnes of surplus stock from British artisan
cheesemakers whose businesses have been affected by Covid-19.
Following
the closure of restaurants and supermarket deli counters, many producers were
left with unsold fresh cheese with a limited shelf life.
But
German discounter Aldi has agreed to rescue nearly four tonnes of brie,
hard and blue cheese from going to waste. This equates to almost 32 thousand
packs of cheese.
The
supermarket will be introducing a mixed case as a Specialbuy, containing a
number of different cheeses including Norfolk Mardler, Cornish Blue and Sussex
Charmer. It will go on sale across all Aldi stores from 23 July.
Julie
Ashfield, managing director of national buying at Aldi, said: "Cheese is a
staple product on most people's shopping list, and we hope our customers enjoy
these high-quality cheeses knowing they've helped small British businesses when
they needed it most."
14 July
California
shuts down restaurants after fresh Covid-19 outbreak
The
US state of California has reimposed restrictions following a spike in
coronavirus cases there.
Its
new restrictions include shutting down restaurants and bars.
Governor
Gavin Newsom yesterday (13 June), announced a raft of measures to help
contain the new spread of Covid-19 after the state saw a 20% rise in
people testing positive in the past two weeks.
As
well as the including the immediate halt to activities at eateries,
entertainment venues, zoos and museums have also been shut down.
California
has more than 330,000 Covid-19 cases, with more than 7,000 deaths.
--
Mondelez
to cull SKUs against backdrop of Covid-19 volatility
Mondelez
International is lining up plans to cut around a quarter of its SKUs as part of
moves to adapt to the volatility Covid-19 has brought to trading.
--
UK's
Ocado says
switch to online shopping is permanent
UK online grocer Ocado says there has been a a "permanent redrawing"
of the retail landscape as a result of people being locked down at home to stop
the spread of Covid-19 virus.
And
its suggests the switch to internet shopping is here to stay.
Its
comments, quoted by UK broadcaster the BBC, came as it said sales
during the first half of 2020 jumped 27% to more than GBP1bn (US$1.25bn).
Chief
executive Tim Steiner said: "As a result of Covid-19, we have seen years
of growth in the online grocery market condensed into a matter of months; and
we won't be going back.
"We
are confident that accelerated growth in the online channel will continue,
leading to a permanent redrawing of the landscape of the grocery industry
worldwide."
13
July
Covid-linked
hunger crisis could kill more than virus, charity warns
A
new report by the UK-based charity Oxfam is warning that a hunger crisis linked
to coronavirus could end up killing more people than the disease itself.
According
to Oxfam, an estimated 12,000 people per day could die from hunger linked to
Covid-19 by the end of the year.
By
comparison, data by Johns Hopkins University shows that the pandemic's
deadliest day so far was 17 April, when 8,890 deaths were recorded.
Oxfam's
interim executive director Chema Vera said: "The pandemic is the final
straw for millions of people already struggling with the impacts of conflict,
climate change, inequality and a broken food system that has impoverished
millions of food producers and workers."
The
charity said that among the issues that have left many unable to put food on
the table are lost income caused by unemployment or a reduction in remittance
payments, the lack of social support for those who work in the informal economy
and disruptions to the supply chain and hurdles faced by producers.
Also
contributing to the crisis are the travel restrictions related to lockdowns,
which impact not just workers and farmers, but also the delivery of
humanitarian aid.
--
China
has economic "momentum" but must watch consumer demand
China's
economic recovery is "set to gain momentum", HSBC has said, but the
banking giant has called on Beijing to take action to improve the situation in
the jobs market.
In
the first quarter, China's GDP shrank 6.8% year-on-year but "several
sectors are showing clear signs of renewal", Qu Hongbin, chief China
economist at HSBC, said.
Public
investment and infrastructure is helping China's economy, Qu said. Industrial
production was up 4.4% in May and infrastructure grew by 11.6% in the same
month.
"On
the downside, other parts of the economy continue to face headwinds – and while
the public sector is leading the recovery, the private sector is lagging
behind," Qu said. "Private sector investment remains subdued,
especially in manufacturing."
He
pointed to "muted" consumer demand, with concerns over a resurgence
in Covid-19 and the tensions between Beijing and Washington. Spending on
big-ticket items, such as cars and household appliances, picked up in April and
May. Qu said the figures "might be driven by the release of pent-up
demand".
He
added: "The demand side of the economy is also picking up more slowly than
the supply side. Consumer sentiment remained cautious and overall retail sales
continued to contract through May."
Qu
pointed to pressures in China's labour market. "Average disposable income
per capita in real terms fell year-on-year for the first time since the data
has been collected," he noted. "We expect central and local
governments to speed up their special bond issuance to support infrastructure
investment and to implement the CNY2.5 trillion (US$357.12bn) tax cuts and fee
reductions announced at the National People's Congress."
--
Vegetable
grower A S Green and Co. in Herefordshire hit with coronavirus outbreak
A
S Green and Co., a vegetable farm in the English county of Herefordshire, has
been hit with an outbreak of coronavirus, with 73 positive cases amongst its
workers.
Located
in the village of Mathon, west of the Malvern Hills in the neighbouring county
of Worcestershire, another 200 staff are in self-isolation in their on-site
caravan accommodation.
"Public
Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted
through food or food packaging, so shoppers can remain confident buying British
fruit and veg," the company said in a statement.
The
site is currently closed to all visitors and no workers are being allowed to
leave the farm, but appropriate assistance is being provided.
A
S Green added: "We confirm that we are working closely with Public Health
England and the Public Health team at Herefordshire Council to support a number
of our workers that have tested positive for Covid-19. As a precautionary
measure, we have arranged for testing of additional key workers including management
team members and visitors connected with A S Green and can confirm all results
to date outside of our site have been returned with negative
results."
--
Brazilian
meat groups call for cut in social-distancing rules
Meat
lobby groups in Brazil are reportedly requesting the government of Paraná, said
to be the country's largest chicken producing and exporting state, to
reconsider local regulations over worker distancing to reduce lost output.
According
to a letter dated 2 July cited by Reuters from the Brazilian
Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) and two local trade groups, the bodies
want Paraná state's minimum social distancing of 1.5 meters reduced to one
meter, in line with federal guidelines for meat processors.
They
argue the current 1.5-meter rule cuts output by 43%, compared to 18% if the
one-meter regulation was applied.
However,
Brazilian labour representatives in three southern states told Reuters
one meter social distancing is insufficient.
--
Tönnies to
cease use of sub-contracted labour after Covid outbreak
German
meat processor Tönnies, which was hit by a
large-scale outbreak of Covid-19 at one of its meat plants last month,
has announced it will no longer be using sub-contracted labour.
10
July
UK's
reluctance to eat underlined by ONS data
Sixty
per cent of UK consumers are at least "uncomfortable" with eating
indoors at a restaurant, according to fresh data from the country's Office for
National Statistics.
Six
in ten of those surveyed by the ONS said they would be
"uncomfortable" or "very uncomfortable" about eating inside
– compared to 21% who said they would be "comfortable" or "very
comfortable".
The
ONS carried out a survey between 2 and 5 July to try to understand the impact
of Covid-19 on the UK.
Opinions
on eating indoors vary by sex and age, with 57% of men
"uncomfortable" or "very uncomfortable", compared with 63%
of women. For those aged over 70, two-thirds are "uncomfortable" or
"very uncomfortable", compared with 59% of 16- to 69-year-olds.
On
eating outdoors, attitudes are split more evenly, with 37% saying they would be
"comfortable" or "very comfortable" and 39% saying they
would be "uncomfortable" or "very uncomfortable".
--
English
pubs and restaurants see trade down 45% on opening weekend
Managed
pub, bar and restaurant companies that opened sites in England last weekend
have reported like-for-like trading 44.5% down on the corresponding weekend a
year ago.
Data
collected by foodservice analysts CGA, property advisers The Coffer Group and
accountancy organisation RSM showed 36% of group-operated sites were open for
eating and drinking inside on 4 and 5 July, the first time hospitality
businesses in England were allowed to reopen fully since lockdown.
Managed pubs and bars that opened saw sales 44.7% below pre-Covid levels
compared to the same weekend in 2019. Group-owned restaurants that were open
were 41.1% down.
More pubs opened their doors than restaurants, the data said, with 42% of
managed pubs, bars and pub restaurants trading, while 12% of restaurants were
open for business.
"Trading at around 55% of pre-Covid norms may seem a disappointing result,
and it won't be profitable for operators, but it is very much in line with what
we have seen in other markets," CGA director Karl Chessell said.
"When bars and restaurants began reopening in the US during May, it was
only after a couple of weeks that sales reached 54% of pre-COVID levels,
according to data from Nielsen CGA, our Chicago-based research business.
"It is going to take time for the trade to return but this provides a
foundation on which to build consumer confidence and adapt and improve
operations."
Scotland's
pubs and restaurants can fully reopen on 15 July. Some outdoor pubs and bars
have already opened.
Reports
suggest Wales will today announce pubs and restaurants will be allowed to
reopen from Monday.
Pubs
and restaurants re-opened in Northern Ireland last Friday (3 July).
--
Flowers
Foods halts production at US facility hit by Covid-19 outbreak
US
bakery major Flowers
Foods has temporarily closed its Savannah, Georgia, facility after an
outbreak of Covid-19 amongst its workforce there.
9
July
Canada's
fiscal "snapshot" outlines economic forecasts
Canada's
GDP is projected to decline by almost 7% this year, the country's Finance
Minister, Bill Morneau, has said.
Citing
private-sector economists, Morneau said Canada's economy is expected to
contract by 6.8% in 2020 as a whole, its sharpest drop since the Great
Depression, before recovering some of the lost ground, with a rebound of 5.5%
in 2021.
Canada
is forecasting a CAD343.2bn (US$254.34bn) deficit in the 2020-21 fiscal year,
compared to a pre-pandemic projection of CAD34bn.
The
leap is due to the money Canada's government has been spending to try to prop
up the country's economy and protect jobs.
That
help has principally come through two financial aid programmes – the Canada
Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
The
subsidy scheme has paid out CAD18bn to more than a quarter of a million firms.
It offers to cover 75% of a business' salary bill.
In
May, some 40% of CEWS applications were in the "accommodation and food
services" industry, Canada's federal government said.
8
July
UK
foodservice to see VAT cut
Rishi
Sunak, the UK Chancellor, has announced the country's government will lower VAT
on hospitality and leisure services, which includes restaurants and pubs.
The
sector will see VAT lowered from 20% to 5%, as the UK government tries to
support a sector hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown and protect jobs.
In
another move to encourage hesitant diners to frequent outlets
again, Sunak also unveiled a scheme to give 50% off to UK consumers who
dine out in August.
Ian Wright, chief executive of The Food
and Drink Federation, which represents food manufacturers operating in
the UK, said: "The UK's food and drink manufacturers who supply into the
hospitality and catering trade have been hard hit by the crisis, as their
customers disappeared overnight. These 'squeezed middle' firms will
enthusiastically welcome the Chancellor's announcement today to cut VAT on food
and hospitality and slash the cost of eating out. We hope these measures will
lead to a significant boost in demand for the hundreds of manufacturers who
supply into hospitality and the out of home sectors and help them to manage
increased supply costs."
Meanwhile,
more broadly, the UK government will pay firms a GBP1,000 (US$1,254) bonus for
each staff member retained for three months when the country's furlough scheme
ends in October.
The
FDF's Wright added: "However, if demand does not return quickly, these
firms will continue to struggle unless they - and the sector they supply -
receive additional employment support. The Chancellor must therefore keep the
option of extending full furlough support to hospitality and their food and
drink suppliers in his back pocket so we do not lose vital jobs and
businesses."
--
Nearly
100 Covid-related deaths in US meat plants in April and May
The
latest figures from the US-based Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) reveal that there were around 17,000 Covid-19 cases and
nearly 100 deaths in April and May in the country's meat plants.
Its
statistics, quoted by news agency Reuters, are based on
surveillance data from health departments in 23 states up until
31 May for all meat and poultry facilities affected by the
coronavirus.
Among
cases in states where demographic details were available, 87% occurred among
racial and ethnic minority workers.
Some
12% of the reported cases were asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, CDC said.
7
July
JBS
reports Covid outbreak at another Brazilian plant
Brazilian
meat giant JBS has said 2.2% of workers at its domestic Goiania beef plant
have Covid-19.
A
statement sent to news agency Reuters said the workers have been
placed on leave after testing positive for the virus.
The
unit employs 900 people and remains in operation.
Reuters
said the statement came in response to a question about whether JBS would
comply with a labour court decision handed down by Judge Camila Vigilato on 2
July 2 ordering the company to test all workers at that facility after an
outbreak.
6
July
Covid-hit
Toennies plant sees closure extended
The
meat factory at the centre of a major spike in Covid-19 infections in Germany
has reportedly been ordered to stay closed until 17 July.
Local
officials have extended their order to shut the factory, located in
Gütersloh in north-west Germany, although it is reported production can
gradually resume before the new deadline if Tönnies can offer convince health
officials of its protocols at the site.
More
than 1,500 staff at the factory tested positive for the novel coronavirus,
prompting a local lockdown to try to stem its spread.
Toennies,
one of the largest meat processors in Europe, was accused by officials of
withholding data and hindering work to try and trace contacts of the affected
staff, a
charge the company denied.
3
July
2
Sisters Covid-hit meat plant in Wales re-opens
The
meat-processing facility in the Welsh town of Llangefni closed on 18 June
after Covid-19 infections among staff has re-opened today (3 July).
Full
production will not resume until Monday, owner 2 Sisters Food Group said
"to allow for extensive additional measure awareness training
sessions".
2
Sisters closed
the plant after confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus among a reported 13
workers.
The
company said today the first reported positive case at the facility was on 28
May.
"As
a responsible company, we believe took the right action by temporarily
suspending operations for 14 days so we could be sure all our people were kept
safe and we had an opportunity to supplement our existing control
measures," 2 Sisters said. "While it is far too early to say how and
why the virus spread, at this stage we are leaving no room for doubt by
briefing our people, starting Friday, on the new measures and how every single
person should take personal responsibility for their own behaviours."
--
Asda
meat factory in northern England 'stays open despite Covid-19 cases'
A
meat factory in northern England owned by retailer Asda reportedly has a number
of Covid-19 cases but remains operational.
2
July
UK's
Walkers Crisps hit by Covid-19 outbreak
Walkers
Crisps, the UK snacks business owned by US food and beverages giant PepsiCo, has
seen an outbreak of Covid-19 amongst the workforce in its facility in Leicester
in the English Midlands.
--
BMPA
rejects union claims of "dire" working conditions in meat plants
The
British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has hit back at claims by the trade
union Unite that conditions in some meat plants in the UK are "dire".
The
industry body suggested Unite's claims are "muddying the waters in the
fight to understand and combat the coronavirus pandemic".
BMPA
chief executive Nick Allen said: "Our member companies work to strict
hygiene and safety controls imposed by the Food Standards Authority, Public
Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. While working temperatures
are necessarily cold in parts of the factory, workers are given the protective
clothing and equipment they need to keep them and the food they produce safe.
"These
highly-regulated working conditions apply equally to all staff from the skilled
butchers in the boning and cutting halls to the support staff who keep the
canteens and offices running; it's one standard for everybody."
Earlier
this week Unite argued the UK meat sector - and government - must tackle
working conditions in the industry, the country's largest trade union has
argued, insisting Covid-19 has underlined the issues facing particularly
migrant workers.
Unite
said there is "a direct correlation between the treatment of migrant staff
as disposable assets and the spread of the disease".
--
Employees
at Oscar Mayer-owned Rowan Foods facility 'do not feel safe' - report
UK
broadcaster the BBC has said that its investigations have revealed
that some workers at the Rowan Foods facility in north Wales do not feel safe
following a Covid-19 outbreak.
The
BBC report quoted one worker at the plant in Wrexham - linked to 237
coronavirus cases - as saying it is impossible to keep social distance.
Its
investigations team said it saw evidence of personal protective equipment (PPE)
not always being used and recent photos from inside the factory of people
standing near each other and not wearing visors.
Rowan
Foods, owned by UK manufacturer Oscar Mayer Ltd, has said it has introduced
screens and visors, amongst other safety measures, to keep workers safe.
--
Welsh
pubs and restaurants with outdoor seating set to reopen
The
Welsh government has announced new plans to allow pubs, cafes and restaurants
with existing outdoor seating to reopen from 13 July.
As
long as cases related to the Covid-19 pandemic continue to fall, venues can
open in spaces owned by them and those that have licences for it can also
reopen. However, indoor services will remain closed, despite pressure from the
industry.
--
A
"long road" to economic recovery – Deutsche Bank
Analysts
at Deutsche Bank have issued cautious forecasts for major global economies,
arguing we face a "long road to recovery".
"The
global economy is in a severe recession. We now see global GDP remaining below
its pre-virus levels through most of next year," Deutsche Bank analysts
wrote. "Although the shock will fall well short of the Great Depression,
it will still result in immense rises in unemployment, putting pressure on
national treasuries for some time to come."
Looking
at the US, Deutsche Bank forecasts the country will "experience a record
contraction in Q2, and rebound only slowly beyond that". Deutsche Bank
forecasts US GDP will shrink by 7.1% this year, followed by growth of just 2.6%
in 2021.
However,
the analysts warned: "Broad-based rising case growth in recent weeks
raises the risk that the current re-openings could be rolled back, as has
happened in Texas.
Eurozone
GDP will fall by 12% in 2020, Deutsche Bank forecast, before growing by 5% in
2021.
"The
shock is asymmetric," the analysts said, with Germany set to see a decline
in GDP of 9%, while France and Italy "perform worse", with falls of
14% each.
Deutsche
Bank had a brighter outlook for China. "We have upgraded our 2020 growth
forecast for China to 1.1%, and see 8.4% growth in 2021," it said.
"Given the robust economic recovery and stronger-than-expected exports, we
have lowered our expectations for further stimulus."
1
July
China
'suspends imports from Brazil, Netherlands plants'
Beijing
has reportedly barred shipments from meat factories in Brazil and the
Netherlands said to have been hit by outbreaks of Covid-19.
According
to Reuters, customs authorities in China has temporarily prohibited
imports from three plants in Brazil
The
news agency said China has declined to name the facilities but, citing sources,
Reuters said sites owned by Marfrig
and JBS were among the three.
The
Guardian, meanwhile, quoting a Dutch government official, said China had
banned meat from four factories in the Netherlands.
Beijing
had not given a reason for the move but the official said all of the plants had
seen Covid-19 outbreaks.
--
UK
meat industry needs "root and branch" reform
The
UK meat sector – and government – must tackle working conditions in the
industry, the country's largest trade union has argued, insisting Covid-19 has
underlined the issues facing particularly migrant workers.
Unite
said there is "a direct correlation between the treatment of migrant staff
as disposable assets and the spread of the disease".
The
union claimed some factories do not provide staff who need to self-isolate
company sick pay or any other form of financial support, which it argued
"increases the danger of individuals with Covid-19 going into work because
they cannot afford to take time off".
Unite also raised concerns about track-and-trace record keeping for agency
workers, such as production line staff and cleaners, who it says often work at
multiple sites.
"Migrant
workers, who often do not speak English and are scared to speak out because
they fear losing their jobs, suffer under a relentless system that long
predates Covid-19 in which they are treated without dignity or respect,"
Unite national officer Bev Clarkson said.
"It
is imperative that ministers and industry commit to a root and branch reform of
the meat processing sector. The dire working conditions, low pay and insecure
employment that blight the industry and have now come back to bite the nation's
efforts to defeat the coronavirus must be addressed."
just-food
has asked the British Meat Processors Association for comment.
--
India
extends food-security scheme
Narenda
Modi, India's Prime Minister, has announced the extension of the country's
food-security programme.
India
implemented the scheme – Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana – when the
country went into lockdown to try to ensure the poor had adequate food.
Those
eligible were to receive 5kg of foodgrains per month. On top of that, each
household were provided with 1 kg free whole chana a month.
The
scheme had been due to elapse at the end of June but has now been extended
until the end of November, Modi said. He added the extension would mean India's
government will have spent INR1.5trn on the food packages.
30
June
India
set for "worst economic slump in decades"
India's
GDP is on-track to decline more than 5%, Dutch investment bank ING has
forecast.
ING
said it sees India's economy contracting by 5.2% in 2020, a revision to its
earlier forecast for a drop of 2.1%.
"The
five most Covid-19-affected Indian states – Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil
Nadu, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh – make up 43% of India's GDP.
Recovery here will hinge on the return of a large number of migrant workers,
though not all of them are likely to be reabsorbed back into disrupted supply
chains, while weak demand continues to hinder activity," ING economist
Prakash Sakpal said.
"Meanwhile,
high unemployment should depress spending and prices, though there are no signs
of consumer price inflation abating just yet. On the contrary, resurgent food
inflation resulting from supply disruption and panic buying, and high fuel
prices due to recent hikes in excise duty, are pressuring inflation."
--
World
Bank offers forecast on Thailand GDP pressure
Thailand's
economy is expected to be impacted severely by the Covid-19 pandemic, shrinking
by at least 5% in 2020 and taking more than two years to return to pre-pandemic
levels, according to the World Bank's latest Thailand Economic Monitor,
released today.
Covid-19
shocked the Thai economy, especially in the second quarter of 2020, and has led
already to widespread job losses, affecting middle-class households and the
poor alike.
As
Thailand starts to ease mobility restrictions, domestic consumption, Thailand's
traditionally strongest driver of growth, may pick up in the second half of
2020 and in 2021, the World Bank said, but economic recovery will be gradual
and uncertain.
"The
strength of the economic recovery will depend in part on an effective policy
response, in particular effective support to vulnerable households and
firms," said Birgit Hansl, World Bank country manager for Thailand.
"As the recovery phase begins, a key challenge will be how to help people
who lost their jobs reconnect with the labour market. Active labour market
measures, such as wage-subsidies targeted to individuals in the most vulnerable
sectors, and for on-the-job training to promote reemployment should be
explored."
--
Aryzta
plants start to ramp-up as Covid-19 restrictions ease
Swiss-Irish
bakery business Aryzta, which is in the midst of a strategic review amid pressure
from shareholders, said the company is adjusting production upward as
Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease in a number of markets.
In
a trading update issued today (30 June), Aryzta said only one of its plants in
Europe remained in pause mode as a result of coronavirus, compared to three at
the end of April, with 80% of its production lines now operational.
In
North America, where the bakery business has been struggling in recent years,
one production facility is still paused versus five on 30 April, with 90% of
its production lines operational.
The
company added that 22% of staff remain furloughed, down from 30% at the end of
April.
However,
foodservice and convenience retail are still an impediment to revenue growth
due to work-from-home policies and a drop in tourism in Europe, where
quick-service restaurants and in-store bakery are "gradually
improving".
In
North America, "signs of recovery" are concentrated in the QSR and
retail channels, while foodservice remains "negatively impacted".
Foodservice is still under pressure in Aryzta's rest of the world region, while
in Asia Pacific QSR has "rebounded", but Brazil "remains more
challenging".
--
Domestic
JBS plant 'again ordered to close by Brazil court'
JBS,
the Brazil-based meat behemoth, has reportedly been ordered to close one of its
domestic factories amid concerns about Covid-19 – a plant that was also shut
recently amid worries about infections.
29 June
Nearly
300 positive Covid-19 tests at Tyson Missouri facility
US
meat giant Tyson Foods has revealed that 291 employees at its facility in Noel,
Missouri, have tested positive for coronavirus.
The
company said some 1,142 employees were tested between 17 and 19 June. Of the
291 who tested positive, 249 showed no symptoms of having contracted the virus.
The
291 is in addition to 80 positive cases identified by the Missouri Department
of Health & Senior Services or by workers' own health care providers.
To
date, Tyson has conducted nearly 40,000 tests throughout the country, covering
more than one-third of its US-based employees. Testing at the Noel facility was
done in partnership with Matrix Medical, a medical clinical services company.
Tom
Brower, senior vice president of health and safety at Tyson Foods, said:
"We believe it's imperative that we share our experience addressing this
pandemic because safety is not a point of competitive advantage."
Tyson
has designated more than 500 team members as social distance monitors in its
facilities, amongst other anti-Covid measures.
--
UK
food group Browns considering Covid-related redundancies
Scotland-based
Browns Food Group is considering making a number of staff redundant following a
Covid-19-linked reduction in business from the foodservice and food-to-go
channels.
26 June
Australian supermarkets
re-introduce rationing as Covid-19 cases surge
Australian
supermarket groups Woolworths and Coles have introduced customer buying
limits on some essential items after a spike in Covid-19 cases in the southern
state of Victoria led to some panic-buying.
The
UK's The Guardian newspaper reported that rationing has been
introduced on toilet paper and also food items including pasta, flour, eggs,
sugar and mince.
It
said Victoria reported its tenth straight day of new cases in double digits on
Friday (26 June). Some 30 new cases were reported.
--
Latvia's
Food Union sets up multi-country D2C operation in response to Covid-19
Latvia's
Food Union has launched an e-commerce platform for European consumers.
Delivering
ice cream, dairy products, pastry and frozen food directly to customers, the
service covers Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Denmark via local distribution
operations.
Normunds
Stanevics, Food Union Group CEO Europe, said: "Covid-19 has done more to
change consumer habits and behaviour than any event in modern history. We're
moving rapidly to demonstrate operational agility, create new delivery
services, and meet our customers' needs."
The
company said its goal is to diversify sales channels while ensuring its
products are geographically closer to consumers.
--
Tulip
confirms three employees tested positive for virus
Meat
processing business Tulip, owned by US meat giant Pilgrim's Pride, has
confirmed an outbreak of Covid-19 among the workforce at one if its UK
facilities, involved three workers.
Reports
earlier this week mistakenly suggested around a dozen workers had tested
positive for the virus at its pork plant in Tipton in England's West Midlands.
In
a statement today (26 June), Tulip said it is continuing to work in
collaboration with Public Health England (PHE) Midlands, the Health &
Safety Executive (HSE), local NHS colleagues and the local Sandwell Council,
following confirmation of cases of Covid-19..
The
three employees affected, including two from the same household, received
positive test results after more than 100 tests were carried out on a sample of
the Tulip workforce on 22 June.
All
three, together with anyone identified as having had close contact with those
who have tested positive, are now isolating at home in line with government
guidelines.
Tulip
employs more than 640 people at the Tipton site, which is facing closure.
25 June
Princes
forced to close UK facility after Covid-19 outbreak
Princes,
the UK food group owned by Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi
Corp., closed a UK facility for 24 hours this week after a Covid-19
outbreak among its workforce.
--
Covid-19
outbreak at Kepak
meat factory in Wales
Ireland-based
meat group Kepak has an outbreak of Covid-19 among staff at a factory across
the Irish Sea in Wales.
At
least 34 employees have tested positive since 25 April, with eight confirmed
this month.
Vaughan
Gething, Wales' Health Minister, confirmed what he called "a small
cluster" at the Kepak site in Merthyr Tydfil.
Asked
for comment by just-food on the situation, Kepak referred to a prepared
statement. It read: "Kepak Group is designated by the Irish and UK
governments as an essential service provider; we aim to ensure that our
customers have an adequate and quality supply of food for consumers throughout
this Covid-19 pandemic. All our sites remain safely operational.
"At
Kepak, the health and safety of our staff, customers and suppliers is our key
priority. As such, we are actively engaging with our employee forums, and with
the relevant Public Health Agencies to ensure that best practice Covid-19
control measures and procedures are implemented and adhered to across all our
sites. Kepak continues to observe all public health protocols during this
pandemic."
--
More
than 150 positive tests at Asda meat plant
Operations
at a meat plant owned by Asda, the UK's third-largest grocer, have re-started
but it has emerged 165 employees have tested positive for Covid-19.
The
factory in Kirklees in West Yorkshire, which trades as Kober
Ltd, halted production last week after a number of staff were confirmed as
having the novel coronavirus.
Output
resumed this week but local health officials said today a total of 165 staff
have the disease.
"I'd
like to thank Kober for acting quickly and working with us and Public Health
England to help manage this outbreak," Rachel Spencer-Henshall,
director of public health at Kirklees Council, was quoted as saying by
broadcaster ITV News.
"They
reopened their factory on 23 June on a reduced capacity and only colleagues
that have been tested and declared fit to return are on site. We're satisfied
with health and safety measures on site which include separation of colleagues
on different shifts and as an additional precaution, checking the temperature
of colleagues before they enter the site."
--
UK
Cadbury workers said to be resentful over Covid-19 bonuses
A
UK trade union has claimed that Cadbury workers in the country are
becoming increasingly resentful that they are not being paid the same bonuses
for working during the coronavirus pandemic as colleagues in the US and the
European Union.
Unite
is calling on Cadbury's parent - US snacks and confectionery giant
Mondelez International - to level up the playing field and said it is
consulting with more than 1,200 employees members at Cadbury sites in the
English Midlands and Wales over how to respond to the issue.
Mondelez
said it is "disappointed" with the comments.
Unite is calling on Mondelez to follow the example of other major international
food manufacturers which have provided extra payments for UK staff who have
worked during the lockdown.
Unite
national officer Joe Clarke said: "Throughout the crisis, Cadbury's
workers have put themselves at risk and shown great flexibility, working longer
hours to compensate when the workforce was reduced by as much as 30% because of
the lockdown.
"There
is growing resentment amongst Cadbury staff that Mondelez workers in the US,
France, Belgium and Spain have been given bonuses while their hard work is yet
to be recognised. This is particularly galling given Cadbury's strong
performance during the crisis, which has been achieved through the hard work of
our members."
A
Mondelez spokesperson said: "We understand this has been an uncertain
time for everyone, including our colleagues and we've been incredibly grateful
for their hard work and commitment over the past three months.
"Our
number one priority throughout has been their health, safety, and well-being
and we have gone beyond many others to proactively put in place extensive
measures in this space, many of which have been openly recognised by Unite.
"This
includes offering emotional and well-being support, implementing health
screenings, temperature checks, social distancing measures and making face
masks available at all our factories.
"We
have also helped colleagues by offering greater flexibility to support their
personal needs, for example paid emergency leave, accommodating shift swapping
and flexing of work patterns, as well full pay for those who are shielding
themselves or have family members who are required to shield.
"We
are therefore disappointed with Unite's comments as they fail to reflect all we
are doing to recognise and support our people during this time.
"We're
continuing to discuss with union representatives so we can try and resolve any
issues as soon as possible, in the best interests of all our colleagues."
24 June
Covid-19
has altered customer behaviour around food consumption, survey says
A
survey produced by investment bank Wells Fargo suggests that quarantined
consumers may not return to pre-lockdown routines, something that could have
major implications for foodservice suppliers.
"Our
survey work suggests Covid has altered customer choice around food consumption
(where, when and how), which is likely to have an impact over the next several
quarters (or years) for companies under our coverage as consumers adjust to a
new, and hopefully temporary, norm," the bank said
"Our
survey of one thousand shoppers supports a more constructive view for grocers
and food manufacturers and a more selective view on restaurants and
distributors."
The
survey suggests consumers will be willing to return to dining out if states
reopen successfully, but food away from home consumption may remain below
pre-Covid levels for some time.
"Approximately
70% of respondents indicated they would be comfortable returning to a
restaurant with the proper safety precautions and no local spike in cases.
However, only one third indicated that visit frequency for restaurant dine-in
occasions would return to pre-Covid levels in the foreseeable future, with
dinner most impacted," the bank said.
The
survey also suggested "grocery store trip consolidation" may be here
to stay.
"Once
the crisis is over, one third of respondents expect trip consolidation to
remain a theme and two thirds indicated that grocery stores are the most likely
format to retain their food spending," Wells Fargo, which analyses the
performance of major packaged food companies, said.
It
suggested the shift to grocery pick-up or delivery is sustainable.
"[Of
the] 40% of respondents [who] utilised grocery pick-up or delivery, the vast
majority were satisfied with the service and almost 70% of these respondents
plan to utilise it even after the crisis ends," Wells Fargo said.
In
terms of packaged foods, the survey suggested previously poorly positioned
categories will benefit.
"Roughly
one third [of respondents] plan to maintain elevated consumption for each of
cereal, yogurt, soup, and pasta/mac & cheese," it said.
--
German
government advisers issue GDP forecast
Germany's
GDP won't bounce back to pre-pandemic levels until 2022, economists advising
the country's government have warned.
The
German Council of Economic Experts (GCEE) forecasts the country's real
GDP will decline by 6.5 % in 2020.
For
2021, the GCEE expects GDP to bounce back, growing again by 4.9%, describing
the decline and subsequent recovery as a "pronounced V".
Moreover,
they suggest Germany's unemployment rate "will continue to rise in the
coming months and will only start to decline in the course of 2021".
"The
weak external environment will put a significant burden on German exports this
year," the GCEE cautions. "The global spread of the coronavirus has
led to a deep recession of the world economy."
Germany's
GDP rose 0.6% in 2019. "Consequently, GDP is unlikely to return to its
pre-?pandemic level before 2022," the GCEE explains.
However,
the advisers add: "The outlook for further economic development remains
subject to considerable uncertainty. In particular, the course of the pandemic
is of major importance. A significantly longer phase of weak economic
development is expected, if the number of new infections cannot be kept at low
levels, for example by smart distancing, if the easing of public health
interventions does not continue and if uncertainty of companies and households
is not reduced."
--
JBS
ordered to test workers at meat plant for Covid-19
Brazilian
meat giant JBS has been ordered to test all workers for Covid-19 at a Rio
Grande do Sul meat plant, news agency Reuters has reported, quoting
labour prosecutors.
It
said yesterday's announcement came on the same day that JBS raised the
number of meatpacking plants with confirmed cases of coronavirus to 32.
JBS
declined to comment on the decision when contacted by Reuters, saying
the Três Passos plant remained open.
The
news agency reported that a labour court ruled that JBS should test all workers
at the plant in five days, as well as put on paid leave any employees who test
positive for Covid-19, for a minimum of 14 days.
There
are more than 1.1m infected with Covid-19 in Brazil and 52,000 people have
died from the virus.
23
June
Restaurants
set for return in England
The
UK's latest moves to ease lockdown measures will see restaurants, pubs and bars
allowed to open again on 4 July in England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
With
public health a devolved issue in the UK, much of Johnson's statement to
Parliament centred on measures in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
devise their own strategies for Covid-19 lockdowns.
Announcing
the moves this afternoon (23 June), Johnson also said the rule stating people
need to keep two metres away from each other is being reduced to "one
metre plus", where the full two meters is not possible.
From
4 July, people will be allowed to meet with one other household at a time
indoors, as long as social distancing is maintained, Johnson added.
--
Update
Рarea under Țnnies plant enters lockdown
This
morning, the head of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
announced a fresh lockdown for the Gütersloh area, where a factory
operated by meat giant Tönnies has seen more than 1,500 staff test positive for
Covid-19 (see below link).
Armin
Laschet said amenities in Gütersloh such as bars, museums and cinemas
would be closed, while picnics and barbecues would also be prohibited. People
will only be able to have contact with thei rown household or one person from
outside.
Outbreak
at Toennies meat plant fuels Germany's infection rate
More
than 1,000 staff from a Tönnies meat plant in Germany have tested positive for
Covid-19 and become a factor in a spike in the R, or reproduction, number of
the virus in the country.
The
outbreak among workers employed at the facility, located in Gütersloh in
north-west Germany, was yesterday (22 June) described as "massive" by
Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief spokesperson.
--
Tulip
confirms Covid-19 cases at UK plant marked down for closure
Meat
processing business Tulip, owned by US meat giant Pilgrim's Pride, has
confirmed an outbreak of Covid-19 among the workforce at one if its UK
facilities.
22
June
UK
unveils plans to "turbo charge" food industry post-Covid-19
The
UK government has revealed plans it hopes will ensure the country's food and
drink industry and agriculture sector bounce back successfully from the impact
of coronavirus, with an emphasis on overseas trade opportunities.
--
Covid-19
cases at 2 Sisters plant 'rise above 150'
The
number of staff who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus has
reportedly reached 158.
On
Thursday, 2 Sisters decided to close a processing plant in Wales for 14 days
because of Covid-19 infections.
The
poultry facility in the town of Llangefni, Anglesey, reportedly had 13
confirmed cases a few days ago with another 110 people self-isolating, although
2 Sisters declined to confirm the numbers.
The
BBC yesterday (21 June) reported the number of infections had hit 158.
"As
of 15:00 BST on Sunday 21 June we have recorded an increase of 83 confirmed
positive cases identified over the past 24 hours," the broadcaster quoted
Dr Christopher Johnson from the Public Health Wales agency as saying.
"Testing
of employees continues, and it is likely that some additional cases will be
identified in the coming days.
"The
increase in cases is as we anticipated when a focused track and trace programme
is implemented, and does not mean that the spread of infection is
increasing."
just-food
has approached 2 Sisters for comment.
--
PepsiCo
closes China food plant in Covid-19 move
US
food and beverages giant PepsiCo has closed a food processing plant in Beijing
due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
Reuters
reported the decision was taken after "at least one employee" tested
positive for coronavirus at the facility which produces Lay's crisps.
--
China
suspends poultry imports from Covid-hit Tyson Foods plant
China
has suspended poultry imports from a plant owned by meat group Tyson Foods that
has been hit by a Covid-19 outbreak.
--
Italy's
Parmalat launches permanent D2C service after Covid-19 boom
Italian
dairy company Parmalat, owned by French peer Lactalis,
is to launch an e-commerce offering after what its describes as the
"unprecedented growth" of online shopping during the Covid-19 period.
19
June
More
UK plants "suspected" to have Covid-19 outbreaks, union claims
Three
UK meat and prepared-food factories have this week emerged as sites where
multiple staff have tested positive for Covid-19 – but trade union Unite claims
there are more sites "suspected" to have outbreaks among workers.
Unite
told just-food today (19 June) it has had "reports from more than five
sites where concerns have been raised" about suspected outbreaks.
--
World
Bank: COVID-19 recession is expected to be twice as bad as the 2009 financial
crisis
The
World Bank has warned forecasts suggest the global recession caused by the
novel coronavirus will be the deepest since World War II.
There
will be biggest proportion of economies experiencing declines in per capita
output since 1870, the organisation said.
It
also stated the output of emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) is
expected to contract in 2020 for the first time in at least 60 years.
The
World Bank said the global economy has experienced 14 global recessions since
1870: in 1876, 1885, 1893, 1908, 1914, 1917-21, 1930-32, 1938, 1945-46, 1975,
1982, 1991, 2009, and 2020.
It
warned the Covid-19 recession will be the deepest since 1945-46, and more than
twice as deep as the recession associated with the 2007-09 global financial
crisis.
"The
Covid-19 global recession is unique in many respects," the World Bank
said. "It will be the most severe since World War II and is expected to
trigger per capita GDP contractions in the largest share of economies since
1870. It is also associated with unprecedented weakening in multiple indicators
of global activity, such as services and oil demand, as well as declines in per
capita income in all EMDE regions."
--
just-food
Commentary: The five ways CPG companies can navigate US economic
uncertainty
Our
US columnist Victor Martino today (19 June) set out how CPG companies can
steer their way through choppy economic waters.
"CPG
companies need to create a new playbook to deal with a US market experiencing
an economic recession plagued with a whole lot of uncertainty," he wrote.
"CPG
companies, particularly the big guys, tend to fare better than many other
industries in recessionary periods. But such times require changes to how
brands are managed.
"What
can CPG companies do to drive brand growth during the coronavirus-induced
economic recession? And what can they do to position brands once the economy
starts to rebound, which could possibly be as early as this fall?"
--
Covid-19
– 'Asda, Oscar Mayer food plants see outbreaks'
Two
more food factories in the UK have reportedly been affected by outbreaks of
Covid-19 among staff.
Asda,
the UK's third-largest food retailer, has confirmed its meat plant in Kirklees
in West Yorkshire has stopped operations after employees tested positive.
Meanwhile,
Oscar Mayer Ltd has said more than 30 workers at its Rowan Foods facility in
north Wales have been infected.
18
June
2
Sisters to halt production in Anglesey
2
Sisters Food Group, the UK-based poultry supplier to major supermarkets, has
taken the decision to close a processing plant in Wales for 14 days because of
Covid-19 infections.
The
poultry facility in the town of Llangefni, Anglesey, reportedly had 13
confirmed cases a few days ago with another 110 people self-isolating, although
2 Sisters declined to confirm the numbers.
However,
from today (18 June), the company has decided to halt production at the site.
2
Sisters said in a statement: "In light of the current Covid-19 cases at
our Llangefni site, we have decided to take the necessary action to clearly
demonstrate how seriously we take this issue by doing the right thing.
"The
health, safety and wellbeing of our colleagues is ultimately the thing that
matters most at our business. We are a responsible company with people at its
core. Without our people we are nothing.
"We
will not tolerate any unnecessary risks – however small – for our existing
loyal workforce at the facility."
2
Sisters said it had worked closely with local health authorities and health and
safety bodies, as well as the trade union Unite, in coming to the decision.
--
Switzerland's
Orior gets
boost from retail sales
Rapelli
meats and Noppa's tofu owner Orior said today (18 June) rising sales with
retail customers has offset most of the decline with its foodservice customers
amid Covid-19 lockdowns.
Orior,
which was among scores of food manufacturers that pulled
guidance for 2020 in the early weeks of the pandemic, said business
with retailers "remains very strong".
In
a stock-exchange filing ahead of the publication of its first-half results next
month, Orior said that growth "will compensate for most of the decline in
revenues from the foodservice sector" – although that statement, it said,
excludes Casualfood, the division mostly operates in airport terminals,
supplying products such as sandwiches, salads, muesli and smoothies.
Orior
added: "With the re-opening of restaurants and international borders and
the gradual resumption of air travel, business in these important sales
channels, which have been heavily impacted by the corona crisis, will slowly
recover. The performance of these sales channels during the first few weeks
after restrictions were eased was very positive in light of the general
environment."
The
company will report its first-half numbers on 14 July.
17
June
Food
trade bodies call for support measures for UK foodservice suppliers
Trade
groups representing UK food and drinks manufacturers have joined hands to urge
the Government to take action to provide support to those supplying the
country's foodservice sector, which has been hit hard by the lockdown.
--
Whitworths
looks to D2C for "new phase" of growth
Whitworths,
the UK-based dried foods producer, is launching a direct-to-consumer service
for its fruit, nuts and seed products.
The
Northamptonshire firm's online store will serve consumers and businesses alike
across the UK, including retailers and manufacturers, with no minimum order.
Phil
Gowland, Whitworths' commercial director, said: "We are excited to
announce our new online shop, allowing us to reach consumers directly with new
ideas as well as providing businesses the opportunity to more easily access our
bulk branded and raw material products."
He
said the online store will play a "huge role" in the company's
"new phase" of growth.
China
'testing all imports of meat' amid fresh Covid-19 outbreak
Bloomberg,
citing an unnamed executive at a "major supplier", has said customs
officials in China are testing all imports of meat for the novel coronavirus.
A
fresh outbreak of Covid-19 has been linked to a wholesale food market in
Beijing.
The
new infections are reported to have been traced to a chopping board used by a
seller of imported salmon, Bloomberg said.
The
unnamed executive told Bloomberg customs officials are carrying out
nucleic acid tests on all shipments. Officials have also started testing every
consignment within the shipments, instead of taking random samples, the
executive added.
Regulators
around the world have consistently said that, so far, there is no evidence
Covid-19 can be transmitted through food.
Citing
Norway's fisheries and seafood minister, Reuters has
reported that officials from the country and in China have concluded
Norwegian salmon was likely not the source of the fresh outbreak.
--
Deloitte's
caution about link between US mobility and spending
Analysts
at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu have been looking at data on the mobility of US
citizens and their spending.
"Unfortunately,"
Michael Wolf, an economist at Deloitte, wrote this week, "the consumer
spending data suggests the US outlook is not nearly as optimistic as the
mobility data would otherwise indicate."
Wolf
said: "For example, mobility near retail and recreation establishments in
April was just 41% below its baseline in the Unites States, whereas in Europe
it was anywhere from 52% lower (Germany) to 89% lower (Spain). That did not
translate to a softer decline in retail sales in the United States. Indeed, US
retail sales fell 16% in April, far worse than the 5% decline in Germany and
even the 10% drop in Italy."
Since
then, mobility near retail and recreation establishments in the US has
improved, Wolf said.
US
mobility was 24% lower in the last week of May. German mobility was slightly
better at 22% below its baseline, while UK mobility was down 64%, "the
worst among the large European countries"," Wolf said.
However,
he added: "Judging by the Johnson Redbook weekly retail sales, which
posted its worst ever year-over-year decline for the week of June 6, US
consumer spending remained weak through the first week of June despite the
ongoing improvement in mobility. An unrelated measure of retail activity shows
that US foot traffic at retail stores remained depressed while foot traffic in
Italy has climbed notably higher."
And
Wolf warned there was "a similar theme" in the US restaurant sector.
"In the first week of June, restaurant bookings in the US were 79% lower
than a year ago. That is considerably worse than the bookings in Germany, which
were just 24% lower than a year ago. Recall that mobility in Germany and the
United States were strikingly similar at the end of May."
16
June
Soup
maker TSC Foods mulls redundancies as foodservice sales collapse
TSC
Foods, the UK company behind the Glorious soup brand, has entered consultations
with employees over 200 potential redundancies after the UK-based soup
manufacturer saw foodservice sales collapse in the midst of the Covid-19
lockdown.
--
Outbreak
among staff at 2 Sisters factory
Covid-19
has reared its head at a 2 Sisters Food Group meat-production plant in Wales.
The
poultry facility in the town of Llangefni reportedly has 13 confirmed cases
among staff, with 110 people self-isolating.
2
Sisters would not confirm numbers but, in a statement, said: "Our key
priority now is to continue to provide the safest possible working environment
and support all our affected colleagues at Llangefni, as we have been doing for
more than two months without one single case.
"The
health, safety and wellbeing of every colleague is of paramount importance to
us, which is why we have had a series of measures in place for some time
including regular and intensive deep cleaning and disinfecting regimes, the wearing
of protective visors in production areas and implementing social distancing
throughout the factory.
"We
continually review and evolve these measures to ensure we have the safest
possible working environment; for instance we have recently introduced thermal
temperature checks for all colleagues and employed marshalls to ensure social
distancing is maintained in high traffic areas."
--
Nomura
issues GDP forecasts
Japan-based
investment bank and brokerage Nomura has made a series of GDP forecasts as the
global economy splutters into action amid some easings of Covid-19 lockdowns
but faces real pressure from subsequent spikes of the disease.
In
Nomura's home market, the bank predicts that, with the novel coronavirus
spreading, GDP will keep declining for three quarters through the end of the
second quarter, followed by "a gradual recovery".
In
Asia more broadly, Nomura expects Covid-19 to "derail" GDP growth,
with a 1.3% year-on-year fall in 2020, compared to growth of 5.2% in 2019.
Looking
at the US, Nomura said it foresees "a short, but steep, recession" in
the first half of 2020 before a gradual recovery aided by fiscal and monetary
accommodation. "The unemployment rate will rise sharply, peaking around
20% in Q2, as labor market conditions deteriorate due to Covid-19," Nomura
said.
The
bank, meanwhile, said it had "axed again" its forecasts for UK GDP
and see a recession in H1 – with output falling by more than 15% vs Q4 2019.
15
June
A
'sharp but short' recession: Morgan Stanley economists' "confidence"
in forecast for V-shaped recovery
Output
will return to pre-coronavirus crisis levels by the fourth quarter of 2020,
according to Morgan Stanley economists, cited by Bloomberg.
Economists
at the Morgan Stanley, led by chief Asia economist Chetan Ahya, said yesterday
(14 June) they have "greater confidence" in the banks's
"call for a V-shaped recovery, given recent upside surprises in growth
data and policy action".
Predicting
a "sharp but short" recession, the Morgan Stanley economists said
they expect global GDP growth will fall by as much as 8.6% in the second
quarter when measured year-on-year but recover to growth of 3% by the
first quarter of 2021.
--
All
of mainland France enters "green zone"
France
has changed the alert status of its mainland territory, allowing cafes and
restaurants to fully reopen.
As
of today, the whole territory – with the exception of the
overseas départements of Mayotte and French Guiana where the virus is
still actively circulating – passes into the French
government's "green zone", which allows in particular a stronger
resumption of work, and the reopening of cafes and restaurants in
ÃŽle-de-France, or the Paris region.
"As soon as tomorrow, we will be able to turn the page on this first
chapter across all our territory," Emmanuel Macron, France's President,
said in a televised address yesterday evening.
12
June
Scotland
puts plan for HFSS food promo curbs on ice
Scotland
has decided to pause plans to limit the way foods high in fat, sugar or salt
can be promoted in the country.
Joe
FitzPatrick, Scotland's minister for public health, said there were no longer
plans to introduce the Restricting Food Promotions Bill in this parliament,
which ends in May 2021.
"We
remain fully committed to restricting the promotion and marketing of foods high
in fat, sugar or salt where they are sold to the public and will seek to
progress this measure as soon as it is possible to do so," FitzPatrick
said. "Pausing the introduction of the bill provides us with an
opportunity to take stock, take into account the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown,
including on people's diet and healthy weight."
--
Bakkavor
says volumes starting to stabilise across key markets
Bakkavor,
the UK-based private-label supplier to major supermarkets, said it is starting
to see a stabilisation in volumes across its key markets in the UK, the US and
China that were all hit to varying degrees by the coronavirus outbreak.
Having
seen a "sharp reduction" in volumes in the US and UK in the back-end
of March and into April, coming later than the decline in the Chinese market
toward the end of January, Bakkavor said all three regions are showing
"early signs of recovery".
Still,
like-for-like revenues for the five months to the end of May were down around
5%, it said in a trading update to the London Stock Exchange.
The
UK remains "volatile", however, amid what the company said is
"historically low levels" of shopping visits, with revenues 19% lower
in April and down 13% in May.
In
China, Bakkavor said its foodservice customers have reopened the "majority
of their restaurants and stores" and consumer confidence is starting to
return as lockdowns ease.
--
11 June
The
"puts and takes" facing US packaged-food majors post-Covid
In
the latest note from its analysts covering the US packaged-food market,
investment bank AllianceBernstein has sketched out what it sees as the major
factors that could affect the performance of some of the major names in the
sector.
With
the latest US sales data coming out of Nielsen showing some of the major names
in the country's packaged-food industry continuing to see sales growth
decelerate after the stockpiling-fuelled highs of March/April, thoughts are
turning to what could be the prospects for some of the household names in the
sector over the longer term.
Looking
at the very near term, the AllianceBernstein analysts said today (11 June) they
expect the "elevated retail sales growth" seen by US packaged-food
manufacturers "to be partially offset by declines in the foodservice
channel for those with meaningful exposure".
The
analysts said they also expect US food companies to incur increased operating
costs during the pandemic, which could partially offset the benefits of
volume-led sales gains.
"As
we look out to the medium to longer term, we expect a number of puts and takes
in terms of the pandemic's longer-term impact on US food companies," they
wrote. On the positive side, the listed US food companies the analysts cover
could "benefit from improved retailer relationships and a focus on core
SKUs from larger brands at the expense of smaller brands".
They
add: "The shift to e-commerce could also benefit big brands that can
afford the premium shelf space online."
On
the other side of the coin, the AllianceBernstein analysts argue thus: "As
this was a health-based crisis, there could be more focus on health and
wellness from both consumers and regulators. Consumers could also shift away
from heavily-processed packaged food as more people become comfortable with
cooking from scratch."
And
the wariness among some consumers about "heavily-processed" food that
we saw before the pandemic hit will likely return in the longer-term, the
analysts suggest.
"We
expect the long-term structural pressures to resume for the US-centric food
companies as consumers continue to demand less heavily processed,
better-for-you food options. While we expect some trade-in from
food-away-from-home to food-at-home during a recession, this is likely to be
largely offset by a further trade-down from branded to private-label food
products. During the financial crisis, Campbell
Soup Co., General Mills, Kellogg and J.M. Smucker
generated flat/negative volume growth while private-label gained circa 160
basis points of market share."
--
Orkla-owned
Easyfood lets go of 13 staff
Easyfood,
the Denmark-based business owned by Norway's Orkla, is to lay off 13 workers as
the company adapts to the coronavirus crisis.
The
maker of bread-based convenience products said it had to cut production teams
down to two from six in March as the virus took hold, and put 57 employees on
furlough under the support of the Danish government.
However,
while Easyfood is now operating four production teams, its CEO Flemming Paasch
said the company will withdraw from the state support scheme, and as a result
is letting 13 staff go.
Paasch
expects Easyfood "will be back on track by 2021 and will be able to return
to the normal six production teams".
--
Food
industry must "share blame" for severity of Covid-19 - research
There
is "increasing evidence" showing a link between obesity and the
severity of illnesses from Covid-19 illness – and deaths, new research
published in the UK has claimed.
--
Germany
relaxes restrictions on seasonal workers
The
German government has eased entry restrictions for seasonal farm workers that
were introduced to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
From
16 June until 31 December, seasonal workers from the European Union and the
passport-free Schengen zone will be allowed to freely enter Germany by land or
air to help harvest crops,
Agriculture
minister Julia Kloeckner announced on Wednesday (10 June): "Until the end
of the year, farmers can employ additional seasonal workers from abroad.
He
added: "It's in all our interests that farmers can keep harvesting and
sowing."
German
farms usually require some 300,000 foreign harvest helpers a year. They mainly
come from Poland and Romania.
Under
the new guidelines, workers have to keep at least 1.5 metres distance from each
other and work in small teams.
10
June
OECD
predicts grim post-Covid outlook for world economies
The
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has predicted
that as Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease the "path to economic recovery
remains highly uncertain".
The
inter-governmental organisation, which has 37 member countries, said in its
latest Economic Outlook that the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered the most
severe recession in nearly a century and is causing enormous damage to people's
health, jobs and well-being.
With
"little prospect of a vaccine becoming widely available this year, and
faced with unprecedented uncertainty," the OECD has
presented two scenarios - one in which the virus is brought under
control, and one in which a second global outbreak hits before the end of 2020.
If
a second outbreak occurs triggering a return to lockdowns, world economic
output is forecast to plummet 7.6% this year, before climbing back 2.8% in
2021. At its peak, unemployment in the OECD economies would be more than double
the rate prior to the outbreaks, with little recovery in jobs next year, it
said.
If
a second wave of infections is avoided, global economic activity is expected to
fall by 6% in 2020 and OECD unemployment to climb to 9.2% from 5.4% in 2019.
"The
economic impact of strict and relatively lengthy lockdowns in Europe will be
particularly harsh. Euro area GDP is expected to plunge by 11.5% this year if a
second wave breaks out, and by over 9% even if a second hit is avoided, while
GDP in the United States will take a hit of 8.5% and 7.3% respectively, and
Japan 7.3% and 6%," it said.
The
OECD's predictions make for particularly grim reading for the UK. It thinks the
country's economy will contract by 11.5% in the event of a single hit and by
14% if the virus returns.
--
JBS
approved to re-open Rondonia beef plant
Brazilian
meat titan JBS has received permission from a court in Brazil's state of
Rondônia to re-open a beef plant where 266 employees tested positive for
Covid-19, according to news agency Reuters.
Quoting
locally-based labour prosecutors, Reuters reported the plant was
allowed to resume activities on Friday (5 June) after the entire workforce
there was tested for coronavirus.
The
plant employs 900 people in São Miguel do Guaporé, a town of only 23,000
inhabitants.
Reuters
said the labour prosecutor's office criticised the ruling that authorised the
plant to reopen on June 4, only days after a 27 May order to close it.
Prosecutors
also called on JBS to remove all employees who had contact with sick workers
while enforcing at least 1.5 metres of physical distancing on the plant's
production lines.
--
Nomad
Foods online sales surge as Covid-19 spurs "influx of new customers"
Nomad
Foods, the European frozen-food business, has seen unprecedented online demand
during the Covid-19 lockdowns as sales growth through the channel almost
doubled in April.
9
June
Rich
Products eyes UK job cuts
US
food group Rich Products, pointing to the impact of Covid-19, today (9 June)
outlined moves to further restructure its business in the UK, which could lead
to 100 staff being made redundant.
"Whilst
bakery sales across the grocery and out-of-home market are beginning to
rebuild, the sector has been dramatically affected by Covid-19, particularly
with the closure of coffee shops and café outlets," a Rich
Products spokesperson said.
--
Covid-19
blamed as Bakkavor considers future of UK site
UK
private-label major Bakkavor is considering the future of a fresh food
facility at Spalding, Lincolnshire, in the English east Midlands. Hundreds
of jobs could be lost as a result.
--
Mengniu
warns profits will be hit by Covid-19 costs
Chinese
dairy giant Mengniu has issued a profit warning, blaming increased
costs linked to the Covid-19 outbreak.
--
South
Africa's RCL Foods issues Covid-19 profit warning
South
Africa-based RCL
Foods has issued a profit warning related to the coronavirus outbreak
and the subsequent lockdowns and suspension of its foodservice operations.
Final
numbers will be presented around 31 August.
--
Covid-19
- Mars adds to e-commerce units with online store in India
Mars
has launched a dedicated online store in India in partnership with delivery
platform Swiggy for a range of the US-based firm's confectionery brands.
Kalpesh
Parmar, the general manager for Mars Wrigley
India, said: "Mars Wrigley is using the digital commerce platform in an
innovative way to reach maximum consumers. We believe consumers are looking for
occasions to treat themselves and creating moments of joy for everyone in the
family while they stay at home. We are ensuring the products that customers
value are made available to them with greater ease and in ways that remains
protective of public health."
Confectionery
maker Hershey also recently joined with Swiggy and its peer Dunzo in India.
Nestlé, PepsiCo, Kraft
Heinz, Impossible
Foods and Beyond Meat have all embraced D2C as an alternative channel
to retail over the past few months to bolster revenues amid Covid-19.
8
June
Nomura
sets out countries at risk of "second wave"
Japan-based
investment bank and brokerage Nomura has developed a "visual tool" it
says helps weigh up the risk of a second wave of Covid-19 as economies re-open.
Nomura
has assessed 45 "major economies" and ten US states, dividing each
into three classifications: "on track", "warning signs" and
"danger zone".
Of
the 45 countries, 17 are deemed by Nomura to be "on track",
offering "increasing mobility and no sign of a second wave". Fourteen
of these countries are in Europe, joined by Australia, South Korea and
Thailand.
Those
under Nomura's "warning signs" classification include Germany, the
Netherlands, Turkey, the UK and the US. Amid increasing mobility, there are,
Nomura says, "tentative warning signs".
Fifteen
countries are in the bank's "danger zone" and "most at
risk" of a second wave of the novel coronavirus, including Brazil, India,
Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Sweden.
"The
tool is based on the latest available daily data on Google mobility and
confirmed Covid-19 cases. While the latter is updated every day, mobility index
lags by about one week," Nomura said.
"Our
visual tool has yielded a mixed bag of results: 17 countries are on track with
respect to reopening economies with no sign of [a] second wave; 13 countries
are showing some tentative warning signs and 15 countries in danger zone of
being most at risk of a second wave, the latter group largely comprising of
emerging market countries."
--
just-food
analysis: Could UK wholesalers' Covid-19 pivots persist?
In
late-March, the UK's lockdown meant, overnight, wholesalers' bread-and-butter
foodservice market dried-up, forcing them to rethink their businesses. Some
jumped straight into supplying the public direct, others sold into
supermarkets. On our analysis pages today, David Burrows looks at whether these
strategies could stick.
--
Dutch
processor Vion
re-opens meat plant
Vion
Food Group has resumed production at a factory in the Netherlands that had seen
more than 100 staff test positive for Covid-19.
The
company has re-opened the facility in eastern Dutch town of Groenlo shut
last month.
Vion
said it had been given the green light by local health officials, who will
monitor measures at the site. There will be "daily large-scale cleaning
and disinfection" at the Groenlo plant. All employees will have daily
health checks, the company added.
--
Suntory
chief 'sounds warning over Japan foodservice outlook'
In
an interview with Reuters, the chief executive of Japanese food and
beverage giant Suntory forecast a fifth of the country's bars and restaurants
could go out of business due to the pandemic.
"If
you ask me how much will return, I'd say roughly, around 80% will be
back," Takeshi Niinami, Suntory's CEO and also an economic adviser to
the country's government, told the news agency.
Japan,
a country with a population of around 127m, has so far avoided a large-scale
outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Data published in the Japanese media today
showed the country had seen 932 people die from Covid-19. Those who have tested
positive number 17,924.
--
Addo
Food Group to add scores of jobs at UK plant
UK
savoury snacks maker Addo Food Group is to take on 65 new employees at a plant
in England to help it meet increased demand during the Covid-19 outbreak.
5
June
Saputo
sees no immediate recovery for foodservice channel
Saputo said
it will take another "couple of quarters" before the Canada-based
dairy firm's foodservice business returns to pre-coronavirus levels as its chief
executive noted how he is open to acquisitions in the sector.
--
Arla
Foods says Danish foodservice channel opening up
Arla Foods
said its foodservice sales in the European dairy group's home market of Denmark
rose 30% in the past two weeks as canteens, restaurants and cafes began to
reopen having been shutdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.
--
Meat
industry warned about post-Covid-19 consumer confidence issue
London-based
data and analytics company GlobalData suggests prolonged turbulence in the
meat industry caused by Covid-19 could be detrimental to consumer confidence.
4
June
J.M.
Smucker sees huge Q4 sales boost from Covid-19 factor
US
jam, peanut butter, relishes and snacks maker J.M. Smucker has
reported Q4 sales figures that have been massively boosted by the Covid-19
factor.
--
Nestle's
operations resume in India
Nestlé
said operations have resumed at all of its manufacturing facilities and
distribution centres in India that had been working at scaled-down capacity due
to the Covid-19 outbreak.
It
is now in the process of scaling-up operations with "stringent safety
practises" in place, Nestlé said in a stock exchange filing.
"Due
to the unpredictable and fast-changing Covid-19 situation, it is very difficult
to assess the future impact of Covid-19 on business operations and it is
expected to evolve over a period of time," Nestlé noted. "However, we
are confident about our ability to manage this crisis through our financial
stability, our trusted brands, our consumers, our committed employees and our
quality of leadership."
3
June
Campbell
Soup Co. makes significant upgrade to outlook as sales surge on Covid-19
Campbell
Soup Co. has made a significant upgrade to its financial guidance across key
metrics after the US food group experienced "unprecedented broad-based
demand" in the third quarter due to coronavirus-linked shopping behaviour.
--
Investor
spotlight on animal protein over "pandemic risk"
The
global animal-protein industry is "vulnerable to zoonotic outbreaks and
guilty of creating them", new research from an international investor
group has claimed.
FAIRR,
a network of global investors aiming to create awareness over environmental,
social and corporate governance (ESG) issues with US$20trn in assets, has said
Covid-19 is "a warning of the role modern animal production systems can
play in increasing zoonotic disease risk".
The
group has called on the animal-protein sector to "tackle lax safety
standards for food and workers alike, closely confined animals and overused
antibiotics".
--
Tyson
reveals results from Covid-19 tests at Iowa plants
US
meat giant Tyson Foods has revealed that some 815 workers across two plants in
Iowa have tested positive for coronavirus.
The
company released results from Covid-19 testing at its Storm Lake pork
processing plant and its Council Bluffs beef and pork facility yesterday (2
June).
At
Storm Lake, 2,303 employees were tested and 591 tested positive. Tyson said 75%
of those who tested positive showed no symptoms.
Limited
production at the facility will resume today (3 June) following a temporary
halt during which additional deep cleaning and sanitising was conducted.
Tom
Brower, senior vice president of health and safety for Tyson Foods, said:
"As in Storm Lake, we are routinely finding high levels of asymptomatic
positives when we test widely at our plants and because of that, we can do a
public service by sharing the results with the local community."
At
its Council Bluffs facility, Tyson tested 1,483 employees and 224 of them
tested positive for Covid-19. Some 103 of those have been through their
required absence and have now returned to work.
More
than half of individuals who tested positive did not show any symptoms.
The
Council Bluffs plant is among more than 40 production facilities in the US
where Tyson is rolling out testing capabilities with the medical clinical
services company Matrix Medical.
--
Mash
Direct, a prepared-vegetable products supplier based in Northern Ireland, sells
on both sides of the Irish Sea and across the island of Ireland. COO Jack
Hamilton tells Dean Best how the family-owned firm has adapted to Covid-19,
with the pandemic affecting parts of the business in different ways.
Northern
Ireland-based Mash Direct, a supplier of prepared-vegetable products, does
business in its home market, mainland Great Britain and the Irish Republic. The
family-owned company turns over north of GBP20m (US$25.1m) a year and, as the
Covid-19 pandemic hit, was growing its top and bottom lines.
However,
like businesses across the packaged-food industry, big and small, Mash Direct
has had to react quickly to the way the novel coronavirus has shaken up the
sector. Almost a third of the firm's turnover is generated through the
foodservice channel.
Mash
Direct did, however, see sales to its grocery-retail customers (which take in
major retailers on both sides of the Irish Sea) jump in the early weeks of the
lockdowns in the UK and Ireland, while COO Jack Hamilton says the company
launched a direct-to-consumer service that may become a permanent part of the
business.
2
June
JPMorgan
Chase & Co. issues forecast on US consumer spending
Analysts
at the US investment bank have been reflecting on the latest data coming out of
the US and setting out their forecasts for consumer spending in the country in
the second quarter. It makes for sobering reading.
Discussing
not just the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic recession and now the political
division and racial tension that have hit the US, Dr. David Kelly, chief global
strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, wrote: "Recently, the forces
pulling us apart have seemed stronger. But just as there are cycles in the
economy, so there are cycles in politics and society and there will be many
better years ahead than 2020. Still, we can't unfortunately fast forward this
movie to those better years and, for investors and those advising them it is still
important to understand the nature of the recession into which we have fallen.
While this has been a recurring theme in recent months, every few days we get
new information which can help us track both of the depth of the downturn and
the speed of a potential recovery.
"Last
week's numbers on consumer spending, durable goods, inventories and
international trade gave us a better understanding of just how far we have
fallen. In particular, real consumer spending fell 13.2% in April following a
6.7% March decline. This was worse than expected and, even with a substantial
recovery in May and June, we expect real consumer spending to fall an
extraordinary 43% annualised in the second quarter. This, combined with weaker
trade and inventory data, suggests that real GDP overall could fall by roughly
41% annualised in the second quarter of this year, before rebounding by 18%
annualised in the third."
Dr.
Kelly sought to emphasise how he believes any real pick-up in the US economy
will come when a vaccine for Covid-19 is widely administered.
"It
should be emphasised that the apparent strength of this rebound is largely a
reflection of the depth of the downturn, particularly in April of this year.
Moreover, we continue to expect that the economy will only show true acceleration
when a vaccine has been widely distributed," he said. "Because of
this, while real GDP could fall 13.7% in absolute terms from its cyclical peak
at the end of last year to the second quarter of this year, it may only gain
back a quarter of this extraordinary decline in the third quarter and output
could still be lower in the fourth quarter of 2021 than in the fourth quarter
of 2019."
--
China's
possible "U-shaped recovery" will still be uneven - S&P Global
Financial
analysts at S&P Global have been casting their eye over China's economy and
believe it's "showing visible signs of re-emergence and recovery".
"China's
economy is healing. Indicators point to a U-shaped recovery assuming Covid-19
remains contained," S&P Global Ratings' Chief Asia-Pacific Economist
Shaun Roache wrote.
Roache,
however, had a caveat that will be of interest to those in FMCG.
"Unsurprisingly,
healing is uneven. Large firms are finding their feet faster than small firms,
and industry is recovering faster than the service sector. We estimate that
just three months after the peak in Covid-19 cases in early February, large
industrial firms were back at 95% of normal capacity. Manufacturing output rose
by 5% in April compared with a year ago. Not all industries are firing at the
same time, however. The technology sector has rebounded, autos have stabilised,
and consumer goods are still below 2019 levels."
--
Marfrig
'agrees to bring in enhanced protection measures for meat plant workers'
Brazilian
meat heavyweight Marfrig has reportedly agreed to introduce enhanced protection
measures against the Covid-19 virus for its meat plant workers.
News
agency Reuters said that the company has signed a settlement with
labour prosecutors in its home market to make working conditions safer for its
employees against a backdrop of the virus spreading in meat plants in recent
weeks.
Quoting
a statement from the labour prosecutors, Reuters reported that
additional protective measures agreed upon include routine testing of workers
for coronavirus and introducing a mandatory 1.5 metres in physical distancing
between workers at the company's 12 plants in Brazil.
It
also said Marfrig is to test all of its 18,000 workers starting today (2 June)
as part of efforts to combat the spread of the virus.
And
it will immediately remove "symptomatic workers" from its plants
for a minimum period of 14 days.
1
June
Local
food more important to German consumers in wake of Covid-19 - government
Local
food has grown in importance among consumers in Germany since the onset of
Covid-19, a government survey has suggested.
In
the latest edition of an annual government report into Germany's eating habits,
more than four in five of consumers surveyed said it is important food
comes from the local region. The importance of the regional origin also
depends on the product
The
German government said more consumers want to "increasingly use
seasonal products with short transport routes".
Julia
Klöckner, Germany's Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer
Protection, said: "Local food has become more important. A new awareness
of food has arisen - and of the work of those who produce it. This new esteem
needs to be maintained."
According
to the survey, 39% of those questioned stated that agriculture had become more
important for them during the Covid-19 crisis.
--
'Brazilian
court gives OK for JBS to re-open poultry plant'
Brazil-based
meat giant JBS has been given clearance to resume production at a poultry plant
closed since 18 May.
According
to Reuters, JBS can re-start processing at the facility in Ipumirim,
which is located in the southern state of Santa Catarina.
Citing
labour officials, the news agency said that, when the company was ordered to
close the factory, there had been 86 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
--
China
economic recovery slower than expected - HSBC
Labour
market pressures, weak consumption and a slump in global demand mean bankers at
HSBC have said they expect China's GDP to slow to 1.7% this year - down from
growth of 6.1% in 2019.
Beijing
has reduced interest rates during the Covid-19 crisis, with additional
re-lending and rediscount facilities for agriculture and smaller firms.
Banks'
reserve-requirement ratio has also been lowered to free up more liquidity into
the financial system.
However,
Qu Hongbin, chief China economist at HSBC, said an expansion of monetary policy
"usually takes time to filter through into the real economy".
"Companies
increase investment as credit becomes easier and household spending rises but
the transmission into industrial production can take around five months and
twice as long for credit conditions to be reflected in nominal GDP,"
Hongbin said.
He
also pointed out how manufacturing firms' first-quarter profits were down by
39% compared to 2019.
Meanwhile,
Hongbin added, China's high savings rate makes household spending less
sensitive to looser monetary conditions. Stable wages and jobs are bigger
drivers of domestic consumption.
"So,
the delay in monetary conditions feeding through into the real economy means
China's domestic growth recovery is likely to remain slow in the near-term. We
thus believe Beijing will step up monetary easing, with credit growth
accelerating by lowering interest rates and reserve-requirement ratios even
more this year."
29
May
UN
warning on food security
The
United Nations World Food Programme has warned that an estimated 265 million
people could face acute food insecurity by the end of 2020, up from 135 million
people before the crisis.
Food
producers are facing large losses on perishable and nutritious food as buyers
have become limited and traders stop engaging with farmers.
The
World Bank has called for collective action to keep food trade flowing
between countries.
The
UN body has listed four food security "hot spots":
·
fragile and conflict-affected states, where logistics and
distribution are difficult even without morbidity and social distancing
·
countries affected by multiple crises resulting from more
frequent extreme weather events and pests such as the current locusts plague –
the worst in decades— impacting food production in 23 countries
·
the poor and vulnerable, including the more than 820 million
people who were already chronically food insecure before the COVID-19 crisis
impacted movement and incomes
·
countries with significant currency depreciation, (driving
up the cost of food imports) and countries seeing other commodity prices
collapse (reducing their capacity to import food).
France
reveals restaurant opening date
France
has announced the country's restaurants, cafes and bars will start to re-open
on 2 June.
Edouard
Philippe, France's Prime Minister, said outlets in certain areas would only be
allowed to open terraces.
Restaurants,
cafes and bars in what France calls "orange zones" can only open
their terraces. Those zones include Ile-de-France, the country's most populous
region, which takes in Paris. The French capital is no longer deemed a
"red" coronavirus danger zone, according to Philippe. The rating
still means Paris is not as free as the majority of French regions, which
are designated "green".
Standing at the counter remains prohibited.
Employers'
union GNI-HCR cautiously welcomed the news.
"Even
if for the vast majority of professionals, the time is for relief, everyone
knows that only one step has been taken, or is about to be taken, and that the
hardest part remains," the union said in a statement.
"First,
we will have to reassure our employees that their health will not be affected
by their work because measures are taken such as wearing a compulsory mask for
everyone and limiting contact with customers. Then our customers, who are
impatient to find us but who legitimately do not want to put themselves in
danger. To them too, we say, measures are being implemented."
--
Turkey's
Erdogan announces reopening of restaurants from June 1
Turkey
President Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey will lift restrictions on intercity
travel and allow restaurants, cafes, parks and sports facilities to reopen from
Monday (1 Jun as the country eases restrictions imposed to curb the
coronavirus outbreak.
Service
will be allowed until 10pm, Erdogan said.
Announcing
a series of measures to ease Turkey's lockdown, he added: "I wish that the
decisions we make will be beneficial for our country and nation. In the new
normal order, I am again saying these three concepts: Masks, distance, cleaning
... Let's not neglect these issues. Let's go around with the mask, be sure to
pay attention to the physical distance, definitely pay attention to
cleanliness, these are our three essentials."
--
US
union calls for more protection for meat factory workers as death total hits 44
The
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) has reported that
44 meat plant employees have died in the US from Covid-19 and is calling
calling on the Trump administration and meat companies to do more to protect
workers.
UFCW's
latest figures reveal more than 3,000 infections among US meatpacking workers.
It
estimates that 22 plants have closed at some point in the past two months.
These closures have impacted more than 35,000 workers and reduced pork
slaughter capacity by 25% and beef slaughter capacity by 10%, it said.
It
has written to US agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue and vice president Mike
Pence asking for better protection measures to be introduced in meat plants.
UFCW
International president Marc Perrone said: "America's food processing and
meatpacking workers are in extreme danger, and our nation's food supply faces a
direct threat from the coronavirus outbreak. If workers in these plants are as
essential as our elected leaders say, then it's about time that our elected
leaders provide them with the essential protections they need."
--
Tyson
'to shut Iowa plant following following Covid-19 outbreak'
US
meat titan Tyson Foods is to temporarily close its Storm Lake pork processing
plant in Iowa following a mass outbreak of Covid-19 amongst its employees
there, reports suggest.
News
agency Reuters reported an Iowa state official as saying 555 employees
at the plant tested positive for the virus, about 22% of the workforce.
Reuters
further reported Tyson said yesterday (28 May) it will close the facility on a
temporary basis as a result.
--
Australia's
Freedom Foods expects "material" impact on profits
The
free-from cereals and snacks manufacturer, which also supplies fresh milk and
milk drinks and plant-based beverages, expects full-year profits to be
"materially impacted" by the Covid-19 outbreak as the crisis hit
sales in the out-of-home segment.
And
the Sydney-listed business also revealed it had made "some
redundancies" across the company as a result of the "reshaping of its
commercial and organisational structures to reflect the new operational
footprint", which is based around Freedom Foods' focus on markets in
Australia, China and south-east Asia.
--
Lobby
group calls for UK government action on obesity to help tackle Covid-19
UK
healthier food campaign group Action on Sugar and Salt is calling on the
country's government to tackle issues relating to obesity, which has been
linked as a Covid-19 risk factor.
The
government is due to publish a report on how factors including obesity,
ethnicity, income and gender can affect the impact of the coronavirus on
people's health.
The
campaign group has presented an "evidence-based plan" which it
said will provide support for those living with obesity, while improving health
for all in the long term.
Its
plan includes providing guidance for identifying modifiable risk factors
and increasing access and funding for evidence-based weight loss support.
It
is also calling for a ban on the advertising and promotion of unhealthy
products and for the government to make nutrition labelling mandatory.
28
May
Meat-free
to have stagnant 2020 before rebound in 2021 - research
Global
retail sales of meat-free products are to dip in 2020, affected by Covid-19,
before rebounding next year, new research suggests.
Meat-free
sales are forecast to hit US$4.7bn this year, down 0.7% on 2019, according to
analysis from UK-based data and analytics group GlobalData.
Stripping
the impact from Covid-19 from the numbers, meat-free sales were set to grow
6.5%, Carmen Bryan, consumer analyst at GlobalData, said.
However,
GlobalData is forecasting retail sales of meat-free products will bounce back,
rising more than 8% in 2021.
Bryan
said Kellogg's recent decision to delay the launch of its Incogmeato product in
the US "makes sense" given the way the market looks to be developing
this year.
"Kellogg's
decision to delay its new launches will prove wise in the coming years, as 2021
is expected to bring a sharp rebound for the meat substitutes market. By
holding out, the company will be able to launch its new faux-burger line in
favourable conditions, capitalising on the renewed demand from consumers."
--
Nestle
partners with Deliveroo platform for confectionery
Nestlé
has partnered with Deliveroo to provide a range of its confectionery directly
to customer's doors in the UK as the Covid-19 crisis makes it difficult for
shoppers to get to store.
--
Marfrig
reports cases at Várzea Grande plant
Brazil's
Marfrig Global Foods has 25 cases of Covid-19 at its plant in Várzea Grande in
the state of Mato Grosso.
The
meat processor said the facility continues to operate, although health and
safety protocols have been put in place to protect workers, such as temperature
controls and limited access.
Any
employees who had contact with the infected workers are in isolation at home.
Meanwhile,
any staff suffering from flu symptoms, pregnant women, people with chronic
diseases and those over 60 years old have been told to stay away from work.
--
Tyson
linked to more than 200 Covid-19 cases at Texas plant
More
than 200 workers at US meat giant Tyson Foods' plant in Sherman, Texas, have
tested positive for Covid-19, it is reported.
US
broadcaster NBC reported that some employees at the plant had already
tested positive for the virus when, just over two weeks ago, the state
conducted a large round of tests on more than 1,600 workers over a two-day
period.
The
results showed that 220 came back positive and three showed to be inconclusive,
it said, quoting local county officials.
While
not commenting on the number of workers impacted at the plant, Tyson told NBC
it had "put in place a host of protective measures that meet or exceed CDC
and OSHA guidance".
--
JBS
Brazil plant 'closed amid Covid-19 outbreak'
Brazilian
meat behemoth JBS has seen one of its domestic plants closed won following a
Covid-19 outbreaks amongst employees there, it is reported.
News
agency Reuters said the JBS plant in the state of Rondonia has been
closed on the order of a labour court until the company tests all
workers there for coronavirus.
A
ruling seen by the news agency said that more than 60% of the cases already
confirmed in the municipality are inside the company.
JBS
did not have an immediate comment, Reuters said.
--
BRF
warns that plant closures could hit its production levels
BRF
has said the potential closure of slaughterhouses due the spread of coronavirus
at meat production sites would make it impossible to keep output at current
levels.
News
agency Reuters quoted the Brazilian meat giant's CEO Lorival Nogueira
Luz as saying: "We have to be aware that if contagion worsens
and authorities see the need to close units it is mathematically impossible to
ensure production levels."
There
are no BRF plants closed due to the outbreak, but at one point, the company's
Lajeado facility in Rio Grande do Sul state had been shut by authorities to
contain the spread of the disease among workers.
"We
have to be aware that if contagion worsens and authorities see the need to
close units it is mathematically impossible to ensure production levels,"
Luz said.
BRF
said this week nearly 340 meatpacking workers at a its Concórdia plant, which
employs 5,132 people, had tested positive for the virus and would be submitted
to further testing,
27 May
UK
food-to-go firm Adelie Foods appoints administrators
Adelie
Foods, the UK food-to-go supplier, has appointed administrators after Covid-19
hammered orders at the sandwich and bagel maker, which employs more than 2,000
people.
--
Global
meat industry to decline by 5.3% this year due to Covid-19 - research
London-based
research and analysis business GlobalData is forecasting that the
global meat market will value US$1.3trn by the end of 2020, reflecting a
year-on-year decline of 5.3%.
"This
is a stark contrast to the expected robust baseline growth the industry was
experiencing pre-pandemic. Prior to Covid-19, the global meat industry was
expected to grow at an annual rate of 2.6% over 2020 to reach a value of
$1.4trn," GlobalData said.
Carmen
Bryan, consumer analyst at GlobalData, added: "Meat is a staple food in
many cultures worldwide, thus the global downturn is evident of the current uncertainty
and supply disruptions many markets are facing. Although production will
stabilise in the long-term, a full recovery to a pre-Covid-19 value is
unlikely."
--
Tyson
worker dies from Covid-19 - report
An
employee at US meat giant Tyson Foods' largest pork processing plant at
Waterloo, Iowa, is understood to have died after contracting the Covid-19
virus.
US
broadcaster CNN reported that the worker passed away on Monday
(25 May).
The
plant was temporarily shut down in April after a major outbreak of the virus at
the facility. It reopened on 7 May.
In
a statement sent to CNN, a Tyson spokesperson said: "We are
deeply saddened by the loss of any Tyson team member and are keeping the family
in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time."
Meanwhile,
Tyson has revealed that 257 of the employees at its poultry facility in
Temperanceville, Virginia, have tested positive for coronavirus.
It
said that 178 of those cases were discovered following facility-wide testing
between 5 May and 7 May while the remaining 79 were tested by local health
officials.
Tyson
said the majority of those who tested positive had not showed any symptoms of
the virus.
Some
1,282 people work at the plant.
--
Thai
Union confirms Covid-19 case at Portuguese plant
Seafood
heavyweight Thai Union has confirmed a case of Covid-19 at the plant of its
subsidiary European Seafood Investment (ESIP) in Portugal.
The
company told The Stock Exchange of Thailand, on which it is listed, that the
member of staff had reported feeling unwell on 20 May and immediately reported
to the on-site infirmary and was sent home. On Saturday (23 May), a test was
performed with positive results.
The
employee continues to self-isolate and is currently not displaying severe
symptoms of Covid-19 or in any immediate danger, Thai Union said.
As
a precautionary measure, it has sent home approximately 200 out of the total
850 workers at the plant. These workers were identified as being in contact
with the sick employee.
Peniche-based
ESIP remains open and is working closely with all local health and government
authorities on measures to ensure no further spread of Covid-19 among the
workforce, Thai Union said.
The
Thai company owns 100% of ESIP, a manufacturer and exporter of canned sardines
and mackerel.
--
Brazil's
JBS 'facing new legal challenge' over Covid-19 outbreak
JBS,
the Brazilian meatpacking behemoth, is said to be facing a second legal
challenge linked to the outbreak of Covid-19 in one of its facilities.
According
to a report from news agency Reuters, Brazilian labour prosecutors are
suing the company "seeking damages and better work conditions" after
an outbreak of the virus at a meat plant in Ipumirim, in the southern state of
Santa Catarina.
JBS
said in a statement sent to Reuters that it had not received formal
notice of the lawsuit and said that it adhered to "strict protocols"
against the virus.
In
April labour prosecutors field suit after an outbreak of Covid-19 at the
company's Passo Fundo unit. Operations at that facility resumed on 21 May after
being closed for a month.
The
Ipumirim plant was closed after a labour inspection on 18 May.
26 May
Covid-19
- Output halted at meat group Vion plant
Dutch
meat supplier Vion Food Group has seen output at one of its domestic sites
halted – and all staff sent home for a fortnight's quarantine – after dozens of
workers tested positive for Covid-19.
--
BRF
meatpacking plant in Brazil dealing with mass outbreak of Covid-19
Brazilian
meat giant BRF is dealing with a large outbreak of the Covid-19 virus amongst
its workforce in a domestic plant.
Nearly
340 workers at its Concórdia plant in Santa Catarina state have tested positive
for the virus, some 6.6% of the total workforce there of 5,132.
A
statement from BRF sent to just-food said the workers have been suspended
from duty after being diagnosed.
The
company said it has tested all of the workers at the facility, which processes
poultry and pork, in recent days with the 93% of workers who tested negative
returning to work yesterday (25 May).
All
BRF plants in Brazil remain open.
--
Danish
Crown re-opens slaughterhouse
In
Denmark, meat-processing cooperative Danish Crown has re-started output at a
slaughterhouse where operations were halted last week.
The
co-op stopped output at its slaughterhouse the southern Danish town
of Skærbæk last Monday (18 May) after an outbreak of Covid-19 among staff
at one of the site's customers.
Westcrown,
a German venture between Danish Crown and the German meat processor
Westfleisch, was a major customer for the facility.
Danish
Crown confirmed yesterday operations at the Skærbæk site had resumed.
--
22
May
Brazil's
JBS resumes operations at Passo Fundo plant
Brazilian
meat giant JBS has reportedly reopened a poultry plant in the state of Rio
Grande do Sul that was shutdown by authorities in April because of Covid-19
infections.
Slaughtering
at the Passo Fundo site resumed on Wednesday (20 May), JBS said in a statement
provided to Reuters, adding that the facility has the capacity to
process 320,000 birds a day.
just-food
has asked JBS for confirmation.
--
China
readies food security plans
China
is reportedly drawing up plans to secure the supply of food in the midst of the
global coronavirus crisis, including strengthening mechanisms against diseases
such as African swine fever, which has decimated the country's hog herds.
--
G.Willi
Food has 'record' quarter
G.
Willi-Food, the Israel-based kosher food supplier, said it posted its
highest-ever sales and operating profit in its fiscal first quarter due to increased
demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Zwi
Williger and Joseph Williger, who both hold the joint chairman role,
said: "Since a strain of coronavirus surfaced in China at the
end of 2019 and reached many other countries worldwide, including Israel,
there has been a substantial increase in demand for the company's products,
especially in the retail market.
"The
company acted to maintain its operational ability and to ensure that sufficient
levels of inventory were available in order to meet demand during the Covid-19
pandemic. We intend to continue to maintain sufficient inventory levels and
work to further strengthen the company's supply chain, and product portfolio to
meet its future demand."
Sales
rose 32% to ILS129.1m (US$36.5m), while operating profit climbed 50.9% to
ILS19m. However, net profit slumped. It was down 92.5% at ILS1.2m.
UK
meat-free start-up remains optimistic about foodservice
In
an interview with just-food, Plant Meat, the UK-based meat-alternatives
firm trading as (and under the flagship brand of) This speaks of how it has
lost a third of its business amid the near-shutdown of the country's
foodservice channel but insists it is still "excited" about its
prospects in that side of the market.
This
(yes, that is the business' and brand's name) is one of a flurry of
businesses looking to ride rising consumer interest in plant-based fare. The
London-based company, which offers alternatives to chicken and bacon, has
listings with UK grocers The Co-op and Waitrose
and has more national retailers set to stocking its products this year.
Speaking
to Dean Best, This co-founder Andy Shovel said the firm's sales
through UK supermarkets doubled in February and March but, of course, saw its
foodservice business tumble. "Obviously that's taken such a big knock
but on the other hand, retail spiked a lot, so in a strange way we're actually
back where we started," Shovel says.
"Generally
speaking, I'd say the foodservice pipeline is the most exciting part of our
outlook when this thing clears. We had more foodservice inquiries than we could
deal with almost. That's the area of business I find really exciting as well
because it sets us apart to some degree. We made more traction in foodservice
in six months than I think most of the category did to be honest. There aren't
that many meat-alternative brands who are co-branding in restaurants like we
are."
You
can read the full interview, in which Shovel also discusses adapting to the
Covid-19 pandemic and the growing competition in UK meat-free, here.
--
21
May
Covid-19
blamed for drastic fall in UK food and beverage M&A
Food
and beverage sector M&A activity in the UK in the first four months of this
year is down drastically on the same period last year with Covid-19 having a
"significant impact" on the deals market.
Data
compiled by London-based advisory firm Oghma Partners reveals deal volume is down
40% year-on-year while deal value is down a massive 90%.
--
Tyson
Foods reveals high Covid-19 test count at US plant
Tyson
Foods has revealed more than 500 workers tested positive for Covid-19 at its
poultry plant in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
The
US-based meat giant said the positive cases emerged from a facility-wide
testing of 2,244 staff at the site, with 570 giving a confirmed diagnosis. The
majority showed no coronavirus symptoms, the company said.
--
Kraft
Heinz reports "handful" of cases at Kirksville
US
food major Kraft Heinz has confirmed a "handful" of Covid-19 cases at
its manufacturing plant in Kirksville, Missouri, with the infected staff now in
quarantine at home on full pay.
The
factory produces Oscar Mayer Bologna and Square Ham.
A
statement provided to just-food read: "A handful of Kraft Heinz employees
in our Kirksville, Missouri, factory have tested positive for coronavirus. We
have taken all necessary steps to identify and notify individuals who worked
closely with these employees."
--
Hormel Foods
withdraws financial guidance
Hormel
Foods has withdrawn its annual guidance due to Covid-19 uncertainties, despite
the US-based meat firm posting "record" second-quarter sales.
Chief
executive Jim Snee said in a statement today (21 May): "The Covid-19
pandemic has created industry uncertainty as to whether we will experience
further interruptions. Additionally, the foodservice industry is in the very
early stages of a recovery, and we are actively monitoring the pace and
magnitude of this recovery. As a result of this uncertainty, we are withdrawing
our full-year sales and earnings guidance."
Sales
for the three months to 28 April rose 3% (6% in organic terms) to US$2.4bn.
However, pretax earnings were down 10% at $286m, while net profit fell 8.7% to
$277m.
Snee
added: "Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic shift in
consumer behaviour, operational disruptions and extreme volatility in raw
material markets, we remain financially strong and well-positioned to weather
the pandemic."
--
Dawn
Meats plant in Ireland supplying McDonald's to reopen
Dawn
Meats said its beef patty plant in County Waterford, Ireland, which supplies
fast-food chain McDonald's across Europe, will reopen for business on Monday
(25 May).
The
family-owned company, which is active in the beef and lamb sectors supplying
retail and foodservice channels, said the facility at Carrolls Cross has been
idle since 18 March as McDonald's outlets shut down under government orders to
contain the spread of coronavirus.
Covid-19
deaths reported at Cranswick plant in northern England
It
has been reported that a number of employees of UK meat processing firm Cranswick
have died from Covid-19.
--
Global
dairy market volatile and outlook uncertain, says Fonterra
New
Zealand dairy giant Fonterra said Covid-19 has affected virtually every
country, market and industry and, as a result, the global dairy market is
"volatile and the outlook is uncertain".
Miles
Hurrell, CEO of the cooperative, the world's largest dairy exporter, said
Fonterra is drawing on its "global supply chain and diverse product and
customer base to minimise disruptions for our customers and our business".
In
a trading update he said: "The work done over the last year to strengthen
our balance sheet, and the co-op's ability to respond quickly has helped us
manage the Covid-19 situation over the last few months."
He
added: "As a New Zealand dairy co-op, exporting 95% of our products, many
of the markets we do business in have always been prone to sudden shocks and
this can impact where, when and what we sell. However, the global nature of
Covid-19 is like nothing we've experienced before. Like other businesses, we
will feel the impact of Covid-19 and its flow-on effects but how and to what
extent is still uncertain. We are drawing on all our experience in managing
market volatility."
--
Kellogg
pulls Pringles ad from Joe Wicks YouTube lockdown show
US
food giant Kellogg has pulled an advertisement for its crisp brand Pringles
from the popular 'PE with Joe' YouTube fitness broadcasts.
During
the lockdown, UK-based fitness coach Joe Wicks has tailored much of the content
on his YouTube channel The Body Coach TV at children to encourage them to stay
active while off school.
The
daily live videos, broadcast under the 'PE with Joe' banner, started on 23
March and have attracted families around the world.
The
campaign group Action on Sugar and Salt accused Kellogg of "irresponsibly
advertising" the snack and suggested it had dropped the ad, which appeared
in April, "rather than face a formal regulatory investigation into its
online advertising practices".
However,
Kellogg said airing the ad on the channel had been a genuine mistake.
--
JBS
'to ramp up production' at Canada plant hit by Covid-19 outbreak
Brazilian
meat giant JBS is to increase production at its plant at Brooks, in the
Canadian province of Alberta, local broadcaster CBC has reported.
It
said JBS had scaled down to one shift but had not closed the plant after an
outbreak of coronavirus amongst its employees. It will increase its
production from one shift to two from today (21 May).
CBC
reported that more than 600 workers contracted Covid-19 at the facility and one
employee died during the outbreak.
It
quoted locally-based JBS spokesman Rob Meijer as saying that moving from one
shift back to two will not increase the number of people in the plant at any
single time.
"The
health and safety of our team members is our top priority. We have been working
closely with public health and labour officials each and every day to implement
rigorous risk mitigation practices throughout our facility," he told the
broadcaster.
--
Germany's
Westfleisch 'restarting work' at shuttered plant
German
meat processor Westfleisch is resuming production at its plant in Coesfeld
which was closed earlier this month after an outbreak of coronavirus, according
to new agency Reuters.
It
reported that Westfleisch said on Wednesday (20 May) that German authorities
monitored a test slaughtering of 1,500 pigs at its Coesfeld facility and
approved its working processes and corona hygiene precautions.
From
tomorrow (22 May), the company will utilise about 30% of its normal
slaughtering capacity of about 9,000 pigs daily and will increase capacity
usage in stages.
20
May
German
plan to shake up meat-factory staffing, health rules
The
cabinet of German Chancellor Angela Merkel today (20 May) announced a
"work protection programme for the meat industry", raising labour
standards in a sector criticised for poor health and safety due to a rash of
outbreaks of Covid-19 among temporary migrant workers.
--
McCain
suspends US capex plans due to Covid-19 impact
Canadian
frozen potato products giant McCain Foods
has suspended plans to expand a US plant because of a drop-off in demand from
the foodservice channel during the coronavirus crisis.
--
Bristol
Seafood pauses production in Maine
Bristol
Seafood said it paused production at its processing plant in the US state of
Maine on Monday (18 May) after the processor found confirmed cases of Covid-19.
The
Portland Fish Pier facility is due to reopen during the week after cleaning and
"universal testing" for employees, according to its president and
chief executive Peter Handy. The number of infections were not disclosed.
Bristol
Seafood said that since March, the company "has operated with modified procedures
to meaningfully reduce the risk of its team members contracting Covid-19",
and had taken all the necessary health and safety protocols.
19
May
Greencore
says early H2 sales down 40%
Greencore,
the Ireland-based manufacturer that is one of the largest private-label
suppliers in the UK, has seen its sales drop by around 40% in recent weeks amid
a coronavirus-linked slump in demand for food-to-go products.
To
protect its profits, Greencore has temporarily ceased production at three
factories - in Bow, Atherstone and Heathrow - and rationalised production at
its facility in Northampton.
--
France
sees three Covid-19 clusters at meat plants
Three
Covid-19 clusters have been confirmed at slaughterhouses in France, local
government officials have confirmed.
As
of today (19 May), 132 staff had been officially confirmed as testing positive
and one slaughterhouse, Tradival, owned by farming cooperative Groupe Sicarev,
had been shut down by local authorities.
--
Sanderson
Farms foodservice poultry orders at two-thirds pre-Covid-19 levels
Sanderson
Farms, the third-largest poultry group in the US, has revealed its orders
through the foodservice channel are at two-thirds the level seen before
Covid-19 hit that part of its business.
Sales
to foodservice customers are the mainstay of Sanderson Farms, the number three
poultry processor in the US by sales, behind only Tyson Foods and Pilgrim's
Pride.
--
EC
slaps down Bulgaria over Covid-19 food sales guidance
The
European Commission (EC) has sent a letter of formal notice to Bulgaria to make
the country's government reverse its guidance to local supermarket groups to
prioritise local food products during the coronavirus crisis.
--
Covid-19
- JBS 'to take legal action' to re-open plant in Brazil
Brazilian
meat giant JBS is reportedly planning to take legal measures to reverse an
order to shutter one of its domestic plants to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Meanwhile,
an eighth worker at the company's plant in Greeley, Colorado, in the US has
reportedly died from Covid-19.
--
BRF
re-opens Brazil plant hit by Covid-19
BRF,
the Brazil-based supplier of meat products and prepared foods, has re-opened a
factory closed amid concerns over Covid-19.
The
company, which owns brands including Seara and Qualy, said operations at the
plant, located in the southern Brazilian city of Lajeado, had resumed after a
local court ratified an agreement between the business and state health
officials.
18
May
Danish
Crown halts slaughterhouse after Covid-19 hits customer
Danish
Crown, the Denmark-based meat cooperative, has stopped output at a
slaughterhouse after an outbreak of Covid-19 among staff at one of the site's
customers.
--
Covid-19
cases on the rise at Cedar Meats Australia plant
A
Melbourne abbatoir has seen an outbreak of 98 positive Covid-19 cases,
according to reports.
Australian
broadcaster ABC said on Saturday (16 May) that the outbreak at Cedar Meats
Australia's facility included two new cases, despite the country starting to
ease itself out of lockdown.
--
Poultry
group Astral Foods delays capex
Amid
South Africa's lockdown, poultry processor Astral Foods has announced a delay
in capital expenditure to expand production volumes.
Daan
Ferreira, Astral's CFO, said: "The group's major capital programme to
expand poultry volumes has been delayed, due to final commissioning not being
completed as a result of the lockdown. Other capital expenditure has been
slowed down due to the impact of the current lockdown."
The
disclosure came alongside Astral's half-year financial results, which covered
the six months to 31 March. Revenue increased by 4.3% to ZAR7.1bn (US$384.8m).
Operating profit rose 8.5% to ZAR546m.
CEO
Chris Schutte said: "The results for this reporting period were
satisfactory and not impacted by the lockdown that was implemented towards the
end of March 2020."
The
Astral board has agreed no interim dividend "would be declared under the
present economic circumstances, whilst also considering the extreme uncertainty
of the near future created by the seemingly indefinite Covid-19 lockdown",
Astral said in a statement.
"The
impact of Covid-19 and the protracted lockdown on the welfare of South African
citizens and the economy is dire. The unprecedented higher unemployment rate
following the hard lockdown, further constraints on consumer disposable income,
and financial distress on businesses with a slow recovery expected by most
economists, makes for a negative outlook.
"The
shutdown of quick service restaurants has exposed Astral to late payments from
customers in this market, and due to a lack of supply into this sector under
the current lockdown, a product mix change has resulted with a shift to lower
margin product lines."
--
US
sausage maker Johnsonville closes plant after Covid-19 outbreak
Johnsonville,
the US sausage maker, has temporarily closed its plant in Hilton, Kansas, after
a Covid-19 outbreak there.
Some
five employees tested positive for coronavirus.
--
Stilton
cheese sales well down as Covid-19 bites
Sales
of UK cheese variety Stilton have dropped by as much as 30% during the
coronavirus crisis.
The Stilton
Cheese Makers Association (SCMA), which represents the UK's Stilton producers,
said the drop off in demand is a result of the closure of the country's
hospitality and events industry and farmers' markets. It has also seen
export sales shrink.
It
said this drop in sales is also having an impact on British dairy farms. The
Stilton cheesemakers use milk from at least 70 farms across Leicestershire,
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the English Midlands, many of which are
fifth generation dairy farmers.
The
trade body is urging UK consumers to buy Stilton and other British cheeses
to support the industry and prevent producers going out of business.
15 May
General
Mills chief talks brands, recession, foodservice and M&A - seven things to
learn
An
analysis piece on the site this afternoon, covering the appearance of General Mills
president and CEO Jeff Harmening - down a web cam - at BMO Capital Markets'
annual Farm to Market Conference, which, for obvious reasons, was held
virtually this year.
General
Mills this week lifted its forecasts on a couple of key sales and profit
metrics after seeing US pantry-loading boost demand. On Wednesday (13 May),
Harmening outlined to investors what the soup-to-yogurt maker was seeing in its
domestic market and discussed a range of issues, from the revival of big brands
and the slump in foodservice to China's early recovery and the company's
thoughts on M&A. In this piece, Dean Best presents the top takeaways.
--
US
baker Flowers Foods reveals Covid-19 sales surge
Flowers
Foods, the US bakery business behind brands such as Nature's Own, Wonder and
Dave's Killer Bread, has seen its sales boosted by consumers stocking up on
bread during the Covid-19 crisis.
Following
the release of its Q1, 2020 results, which revealed net sales of US$1.34bn - an
increase of 6.8% year-on-year - company CEO Ryals McMullian told analysts
"the current situation is certainly unlike anything we've ever seen".
He
said that during the peak of demand in March its weekly branded retail sales growth
exceeded 70% versus the prior year.
"One
major retailer reported that more than two million households tried our brands
for the first time during the quarter. That's just one retailer," he said.
--
Opinion: Don't
write off emerging brands amid Big Food's Covid-19 bounce
In
his latest column for just-food, US industry veteran Victor Martino discussed
how Big Food's legacy brands are having their day in the sun in the US, boosted
by pantry-loading.
"The
big question," Victor wrote, "and everybody in the industry is
speculating about it is whether the outsized sales gains legacy brands
have been experiencing over the last few months are merely a by-product of
consumer stockpiling or if the sales surge is signalling a renewed era for big
CPG brands. Are big CPG brands back?
"Linked
to that," he continued, "is another question: does the current
resurgence of legacy brands mean the emerging brands' insurgency against
legacy brands over the last 20 years is coming to an end or, at least, is in
the process of becoming greatly diminished?"
In
his column, Victor argues challenger brands can still – and will – compete with
their newly-revived Big Food legacy-brand competitors.
14
May
SMEs
will emerge from Covid-19 stronger, says UK challenger brand champion Young
Foodies
And
here in the UK this afternoon, London-based Young Foodies, which
operates as a network and a consultancy for around 1,100 food and drink
SMEs, argued small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food and drink
sectors will emerge from the Covid-19 crisis well-prepared to prosper.
Theadora
Alexander, co-founder of Young Foodies said although the current picture is
"highly fragmented" and some smaller brands have lost self space as
retailers have sought to keep the shops stocked with everyday items, she
believes the future is rosy.
"The
good news for smaller brands is that consumer ethics and values feel stronger
than ever and they are looking to support independent businesses and small
traders," she told the FUTR Live webcast today (14 May). "There is a
huge opportunity for SMEs because they are more nimble and can move more
quickly than their larger counterparts."
--
Foodservice
giant Bidcorp in China direct-to-consumer push
Bidcorp's
Asia foodservice business, Angliss Asia, has described a new online
business-to-consumer platform in China as a key growth area for the
company.
Speaking
as part of hospitality network Arena's webinar series, Angliss Asia CEO Johnny
Kang said the platform was developed in response to consumer trends under
Covid-19 lockdown. However, as China comes out of quarantine, Kang said the
company's B2C operations form "one of our future growth areas".
13 May
Covid-19
- Meat supplier Moy Park confirms employee death
Moy
Park, the Northern Ireland-based poultry processor, has confirmed the death of
an employee from Covid-19 at its plant in County Tyrone.
The
member of staff worked at the company's facility on Killington Road, Dungannon.
A
spokesperson for Moy Park, which is owned by US-based poultry firm Pilgrim's Pride,
said: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our team
members. The terrible impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to greatly
affect everyone's daily lives throughout our community.
"As
we have consistently stated, the health, wellbeing and safety of our Moy Park
team members is always our most important consideration."
--
Premium
Brands Holdings suspends M&A activity, with at least 20 targets on table
Canada's
Premium Brands Holdings, the acquisitive food manufacturer that has built its
business on M&A, has its eyes on securing at least another 20 deals.
However,
any further closing of pipeline transactions, with five in the
"advanced" stage, have been suspended for the time being due to
Covid-19, according to a slide presentation at Premium Brands' annual general
meeting.
--
Court
orders Brazilian meat giant BRF to close plant
A
court in Rio Grande do Sul has ordered BRF, the Brazil-based meat and prepared
foods giant, to close one of its factories in a bid to tackle the spread
of Covid-19 in the country's southernmost state.
--
Tyson
reports scores of Covid-19 cases at Portland, Maine, plant
US
meat giant Tyson Foods has said 51 employees at its poultry plant in
Portland, Maine, have tested positive for coronavirus.
The
plant has now re-opened after being closed for deep cleaning.
--
All
three of Hormel Foods' Jennie-O Turkey Stores have now reopened
Hormel
Foods said all three of its Jennie-O Turkey Store plants in Minnesota have now
reopened, with the Willmar Avenue facility the latest to recommence operations.
Last
week, the US-based meat business said its Benson Avenue and Melrose factories,
both in Minnesota, had restarted following a voluntary pause due to Covid-19
infections.
As
with the Benson Avenue and Melrose manufacturing facilities, Hormel said late
yesterday (12 May) that operations at Willmar Avenue have restarted with a
"core group of team members", with production to be increased
"over the coming days".
--
Butterball
confirms employee death
Butterball,
the US turkey processor, has confirmed one of its staff working at Mount
Olive facility in North Carolina, where an unconfirmed number of staff have
tested positive for Covid-19, has passed away.
"We
can confirm that we were informed on May 7 of the sudden passing of a valued
team member from our Mount Olive plant, but have not been informed of the
specific cause. We respect the family's privacy during this difficult time and
extend our deepest sympathies," a Butterball spokesperson said.
Two
weeks ago, local media reports suggested almost 60 staff at the facility had
come down with the virus but neither Butterball or officials within the local
Duplin County have confirmed numbers.
The
Butterball spokesperson added yesterday: "Because this has been a fluid
situation, and some individuals have recovered and returned to work, we do not
feel a total number is an accurate representation of what is happening on the
ground. The plant remains open and operational, and we continue to work closely
with the Duplin County Health Department to help us manage any Covid-19
cases."
--
Cargill
'registers six Covid-19 cases at Brazil plant'
US
agri-food giant Cargill has reportedly seen six of its workers at a plant in
Brazil test positive for coronavirus.
According
to a statement from Cargill, quoted by news agency Reuters, most of
the employees diagnosed with the respiratory disease at its plant in Uberlândia
in south east Brazil have already returned to work after receiving medical
attention.
Cargill,
which processes soybean and corn at the site, said that, thus far, it has had
no interruptions in Brazilian operations due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The
Uberlândia facility employs between 1,300 and 1,400 people.
--
Irish
meat plants Covid-19 cases exceed 500
Ireland
has seen the number of positive Covid-19 cases within its meat processing
plants top 500.
Answering
a request from just-food, the Irish Department of Health said as of today (13
May) there have been 12 Covid-19 "clusters" in meat processing plants
notified to public health officials.
--
UK
meat industry body BMPA warns of price hikes
The
British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) is warning that food prices may have
to increase because of "spiralling freight costs" during the current
Covid-19 crisis.
In
a statement issued today, it said there is evidence of a doubling and in some
cases nearly tripling of maritime freight costs over the last month from
exporters across the food supply chain.
"The
current price hikes which have persisted from early March are starting to look
like opportunistic exploitation by a small group of large global companies
which control that market," it said.
"As
early as mid-March, reports were coming in that the congestion in Chinese ports
had eased, with terminal operations returning to more normal working conditions.
Indeed Shanghai, the world's largest container port by volume had expanded its
capacity for handling and storage of refrigerated containers by 40%.
"As
exporters of food supplies, we're not asking for special treatment from
shippers, but we are asking them to strike an equitable balance on pricing and
not exploit an already dire situation."
12 May
Pilgrim's
Pride 'facing Covid-19 issues' at Minnesota plant
US
meat heavyweight Pilgrim's Pride is said to be facing worker
complaints at a Minnesota poultry processing plant linked to an outbreak of
Covid-19.
--
Germany's
Westfleisch closes plant hit by Covid-19
Westfleisch,
one of Germany's largest meat processors, has closed its plant at Coesfield,
near the western German city of Munster, following a Covid-19 outbreak amongst
its workforce.
According
to multiple media outlets in Germany, the company has shuttered the
plant until further notice, in line with German government emergency lockdown
regulations, after scores of employees tested were positive for Covid-19.
Reports vary, with the highest figure quoted suggesting 196 workers have
become infected with the virus. All agree that the number is above 150.
The
company told local news outlets that 13 people have been hospitalised with
moderate symptoms, and the rest are isolating with mild symptoms.
--
'Covid-19
outbreak at Saputo plant' in Canada
Canadian
dairy business Saputo is dealing with an outbreak of Covid-19 at its Saskatoon
milk plant, according to broadcaster CBC.
It
reported that the Saskatchewan Health Authority has revealed that one worker at
the plant tested positive for the virus while other employees are
self-isolating.
Around
250 people work at the facility.
CBC
quoted Saputo spokesperson Sandy Vassiadis as saying the infected employee's
last shift was on 27 April.
Everyone
considered to have come into direct contact with the infected employee has been
instructed to self-isolate and monitor themselves for symptoms of the virus,
she said.
Operations
at the plant are continuing.
11
May
PepsiCo
launches D2C services in Covid-19 move
US
food and beverage giant PepsiCo has launched two direct-to-consumer
websites to meet consumer demand during the coronavirus pandemic.
The
Frito Lay crisp brand owner has launched PantryShop.com and Snacks.com, on
which US-based shoppers can order an assortment of PepsiCo's food and
beverage products.
On
PantryShop.com, consumers can order bundles containing PepsiCo's brands such as
Quaker, Gatorade, SunChips and Tropicana.
--
General
Mills lifts outlook on back of at-home demand
US
giant General Mills said today (11 May) it expects to beat its forecasts for
full-year organic sales and underlying operating profit after experiencing an
"unprecedented increase in consumer demand for food at home".
--
Cargill
'to shut another plant in Canada'
The
US agri-food giant will later this week shut a meat-processing facility in
Canada, the second time the company has closed a factory in the country.
According
to media reports in Canada, the plant in Chambly in Quebec will shut down on
Wednesday after an outbreak of Covid-19 among staff. Some 64 employees have the
virus.
Last
Monday, Cargill reopened a meat plant in the Canadian state of
Alberta that was closed down temporarily amid reports hundreds of workers
had contracted coronavirus.
--
Premium
Brands Holdings pulls guidance
Premium
Brands Holdings, the Canadian food producer, has pulled its annual guidance due
to the "ramifications" of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The
Vancouver-based business, with a portfolio stretching across cured meats,
snacks and seafood, made the announcement with its first-quarter results to 28
March. Revenue was up 20.4% at CAD935m (US$668.2m); organic sales volumes
increased 14.6%; adjusted EBITDA climbed 6.6% to CAD64.3m; and net earnings
rose 22% to CAD12.2m.
"The
market ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic had a slightly positive impact on
the company's sales and adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter, however, it
expects the pandemic to have a significantly negative impact on its results for
the year, in general, and the second quarter, in particular," Premium
Brands said in the earnings release.
--
Indiana
Packers resumes pork production at Delphi facility
US-based
pork supplier Indiana Packers (IPC) has resumed resumed limited operations at
its facility in Delphi, after it was shut
down last month due to 15 workers coming down with Covid-19.
IPC,
which owns the Indiana Kitchen brand, has worked with the Indiana State Department
of Health and Carroll County Department of Health to complete Covid-19 testing
of 2,267 employees and contractors working at the facility on 1 May.
IPC
president and CEO Russ Yearwood said: "This pause in operations and the
testing of our employees was absolutely a critical moment in our ongoing effort
to create a safe work environment."
He
added: "We suspected the testing process would generate an increase in
positive cases unknown to us, but this was the point. This voluntary testing
event identified those who are positive for the virus."
IPC
has carried out deep cleaning and plant-wide sanitisation at the facility. It
has also added more physical barriers and hand sanitiser dispensers.
--
Canadian
meat supplier Sofina Foods reports Covid-19 cases
Meanwhile,
another meat processor, Sofina Foods, has announced cases of Covid-19 at two of
its plants.
Sofina
said two of its plants in Ontario had each seen one member of staff contract
the virus. The factories are in Mississauga and Burlington.
In
a statement on Friday, the company said the workers "are doing well and
are self-isolating at home".
A
Sofina spokesperson said the company "stopped operations overnight"
at the Mississauga plant "to allow fogging of all welfare areas in
addition to daily sanitation".
The
spokesperson added: "In the case of our Burlington plant, the employee had
not been at work for a week. Given the sanitation protocols in place at the
plant, including regular fogging, we are confident that the areas where the
employee went do not pose any contamination concerns."
Last
month, Sofina announced one of its employees at its plant in British Columbia
had tested positive for Covid-19.
--
Canada
poultry processor Maple Lodge Farms confirms Covid-19 fatality
Maple
Lodge Farms, one of Canada's largest poultry processors, has announced the
death of an employee who tested positive for Covid-19 last month.
"We
have been in touch with their family to offer our deepest condolences. We are
also dedicated to providing the support and reassurance to help our employees
through this incredibly difficult time," a statement dated 7 May and
posted on the Maple Lodge Farms reads.
"At
the time of this notice, 25 employees have tested positive for Covid-19. We
have checked in frequently with these employees to see how they are doing and
offer our support."
The
statement listed measures Maple Lodge Farms said it had implemented to protect
staff, including the suspension of "one-third of our operations" to
clean its facility in Ontario and to implement "a plan to increase
physical distancing of common areas".
--
US
group Hormel re-opens two factories
Hormel
Foods, the US food manufacturer, has re-opened two plants in Minnesota
closed in recent weeks due to COvid-19.
The
company said on Thursday (7 May) operations at its Benson Avenue facility in
Willmar in Minnesota had resumed "with a core group of team members and
plans to ramp up production over the next few days".
On
24 April, Hormel announced it would halt operations at the site, as
well as at another on Willmar Avenue in Willmar. Both are part of
Hormel's Jennie-O Turkey Store business.
Steve
Lykken, president of Jennie-O Turkey Store, said on Thursday: "We are glad
to be reopening this facility and are working on our plans for reopening our
other facilities including another location in Willmar and in Melrose, both in
Minnesota. We have put the safety of our staff first throughout this pandemic
and will continue to do so."
Meanwhile,
on Friday, Hormel's Alma Foods subsidiary started on what it called a
"phased reopening plan".
Alma
Foods had decided
to close "due to the small size of the plant and staffing
availability due to some community issues with Covid-19".
--
7
May
How
could Covid-19 change the global food system?
What
could be the possible lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer
attitudes to food and, more broadly, on the global food system?
In
a deep dive published today (7 May) – featuring companies including Mondelez
International and General Mills, as well as stakeholders across the financial and
NGO communities – our contributing editor Ben Cooper discussed what are pretty
big questions but questions many are pondering as we try to look beyond
Covid-19.
Consumption
patterns and consumer attitudes to food have been disrupted by the Covid-19 crisis,
and the food market could be reshaped permanently by the pandemic.
The
crisis has brought home how food is far more than just another aspect of
people's lives that could be changed by the virus. Even though the fear of food
scarcity was relatively fleeting for many in developed countries, it has been
enough to alter how people think about and value food, with possibly positive
implications for efforts to reduce food waste, improve diets and create more
sustainable food supply chains.
Meanwhile,
the resilience of current modes of food production and distribution to such
disruption is being assessed, with increased localisation and regionalisation
finding favour with food manufacturers and consumers alike.
Change
will not be sudden, however, as coping with continuing upheaval and a deep
recession will be the main priorities during an indeterminate period of
stabilisation and recovery. It is only when that phase is over that the lasting
effects of Covid-19 on food culture can be fully judged.
You
can read Ben's piece – How could Covid-19 change how we think about food?
– in
full here.
--
Frozen-food
group Nomad Foods lifts sales forecast
Iglo
and Birds Eye owner Nomad Foods today (7 May) lifted its forecasts for annual
sales and profitability after strong top-line growth in the first quarter of
2020.
Stéfan
Descheemaeker, Nomad Foods' CEO, said the company had seen an
"unprecedented level of consumer demand for frozen food, driven by the
Covid-19 pandemic".
He
added: "This change in consumer behaviour, which began in early March, has
continued into the second quarter with in-home consumption the most meaningful
driver."
UK's
Bakkavor sees workers test positive for Covid-19
UK
private-label major Bakkavor has confirmed that four of its workers have
contracted the Covid-19 virus.
--
Smithfield
Foods to re-open Covid-hit South Dakota pork plant today
US
meat heavyweight Smithfield Foods has confirmed that its pork processing
facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will re-open today (7 May).
--
2
Sisters confirms Covid-19 cases at UK plant
2
Sisters Food Group, the UK-based poultry processor, has confirmed infections of
Covid-19 among a number of employees at its plant in Devon, south-west England.
--
Our
correspondent in Moscow, Lena Smirnova, reports on some of the challenges
facing food manufacturers operating in the country.
The
Covid-19 pandemic, which is yet to hit its peak in Russia, has put increasing
pressure on the country's food manufacturers by increasing operational
costs at a time when businesses have also been facing a decline in the
value of the rouble.
Major
food manufacturers continue to operate at or near full capacity despite amid a
nationwide lockdown, which is set to expire on 11 May.
Food
manufacturers have been exempted from the order but health and safety
costs have risen, A bigger pressure on food manufacturers comes from
Russia's weakened ruble, which has fallen steeply during the crisis.
You
can read the story here.
6
May
Meat
industry will spend more on automation, Tyson forecasts
Tyson
Foods, the US meat major and one of the world's largest, believes the industry
will likely quicken its efforts to increase the use of automation in production
facilities.
--
Triumph
Foods sees mass Covid-19 outbreak at Missouri plant
US-based
Triumph Foods has seen a mass outbreak of positive Covid-19 cases amongst
the workforce at its pork processing plant in St Joseph, Missouri.
--
Tyson
has positive news on production network
US
meat giant Tyson Foods is to resume operations at its Waterloo, Iowa,
facility - its largest pork processing plant.
In
an announcement, Tyson said the plant will re-open following a
"comprehensive review" of safety protocols.
Meanwhile,
Tyson has also reopened a meat plant in Washington where production was
suspended two weeks ago to enable testing of staff for Covid-19.
The
beef facility in the city of Pasco run by the Tyson Fresh Meats division
resumed "limited production" yesterday (5 May) having been idled on
23 April, according to a statement from the Arkansas-headquartered firm.
Staff
who had contracted the virus will only be able to return to work once cleared
by health officials, and team members who have not been tested will not be able
to return, Tyson said. New health and safety protocols have also been put in
place following deep cleaning and sanitisation of the plant.
--
Premier
Foods pushes back annual results to June
Premier
Foods, the UK-based owner of Batchelors soups and Mr Kipling cakes, has delayed
the publication of its preliminary annual results until June.
The
company was scheduled to issue numbers for the year to 28 March on 14 May, but
to ensure Premier and its auditors have "sufficient time to complete the
standard full-year reporting requirements", they will now be published by
the end of June, with a more precise date to be confirmed, it said in a filing
with the London Stock Exchange today (6 May).
Premier
said its previously
announced guidance remains unchanged. Fourth-quarter sales are expected
to be up 3.6%, with trading profit at the "top end of market
expectations".
5
May
Mondelez
halts production at Canadian plant
Snacking
heavyweight Mondelez International has paused production at its West Hamilton
plant in Canada after four employees came down with coronavirus.
--
Covid-19
- Conagra eyes Birds Eye plant restart this week
US
food major Conagra
Brands said it intends to resume operations at the factory in Darien,
Wisconsin, later this week.
--
Meal-kit
maker HelloFresh sees Covid-19 boost
HelloFresh,
the Germany-based meal-kit supplier, today (5 May) lifted its forecast for
annual sales growth after bumper sales in the first quarter.
The
company now expects its revenue to climb by 40-55% on a constant-currency basis
in 2020, up from its previous forecast of 22-27%. The business also lifted its
forecast on a metric for adjusted margins.
"On
top of our already very strong first two months of the year, our meals have
attracted significant additional demand in the second half of March, as the
global pandemic hit all of our markets in short order," HelloFresh
co-founder and CEO Dominik Richter said.
In
the first quarter of 2020, HelloFresh said it had what it calls 4.18m
"active customers", up from 2.48m in the opening three months of
2019. It booked 14.74m orders, up from 8.88m a year earlier.
HelloFresh's
first-quarter revenue rose by more than 66% to EUR699.1m (US$760m).
--
Major
US retailers place limits on buying meat
With
the US meat supply chain being battered by Covid-19, a couple of major
retailers have taken action.
Kroger
has placed limits on certain branded and own-label meat products.
Meanwhile,
at wholesaler Costco,
"fresh meat purchases are temporarily limited to a total of three items
per member among the beef, pork and poultry products".
Last
week, major processor Tyson Foods warned of US meat shortages because of the
number of plants shut by the Covid-19 virus.
In
statements posted in US media outlets including The New York Times,
company chairman John Tyson said the "food supply chain is breaking"
as livestock and processing plants are closed because of the virus's spread
among workers.
--
Covid-19
- 'Cases surge at Tyson Foods Goodlettsville plant'
The
number of Covid-19 cases at a Tyson Foods meat plant in Tennessee have
reportedly increased dramatically.
Fox
News, quoting Metro Health officials in Nashville and Davidson County,
said 298 cases have been confirmed at the facility in Goodlettsville.
Late
last month, other media reports, citing the same officials, reported there were
around 90 cases at the meat giant's plant in the city of Goodlettsville, which
is located across the Davidson and Sumner counties in Tennessee.
--
JBS
and Smithfield Foods reportedly re-opening US meat plants
Reports
from the US say that meat giants JBS and Smithfield Foods are re-opening
plants closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The
news follows an executive order from President Trump last week that said plants
should stay open to ensure the US meat supply.
--
Hormel's
Don Miguel Foods re-opens
Don
Miguel Foods, a US-based Mexican foods manufacturer, has re-opened as planned
after a two-week shutdown prompted by a local Covid-19 outbreak.
"We
have a common enemy, Covid-19, and we must work together to stop its spread
both at the workplace and outside of work. We know what we need to do, it's
just a matter of everyone taking the steps necessary to keep each other
safe," Don Miguel Foods plant manager Ryan Gaynor said.
Don
Miguel Foods is a subsidiary of MegaMex Foods, a joint venture between Mexico's
Herdez Del Fuerte and Hormel Foods.
Rochelle
Foods, a US business owned by Hormel, also re-opened its facility in Illinois
yesterday after testing workers for Covid-19 and introducing new safety
measures at its plant.
Last
week, Hormel subsidiary Fontanini Foods said it was to furlough, or temporarily
lay off, 150 workers as Covid-19 takes its toll on the business.
Hormel,
meanwhile, has closed another two facilities after a number of employees tested
positive for Covid-19.
--
UK
pork processor Tulip confirms Covid-19 cases at plants
Tulip
Ltd., the UK-based pork processor owned by US meat firm Pilgrim's Pride,
confirmed an undisclosed number of employees have tested positive for Covid-19
at "some" facilities, although the company declined to provide
specific details on the plants concerned.
--
Seafood
giant Thai Union nets more sales
Thai
Union Group, the seafood titan behind brands including John West and Chicken of
the Sea, said today (5 May) its first-quarter sales reached their highest level
for three years.
Sales
rose 5.9% to THB31.1bn (US$960.5m), driven by "a strong performance"
from Thai Union's ambient business.
"Consumers
around the world stocked up on shelf-stable products in response to
Covid-19," Thai Union.
While
sales from ambient products grew more than 16%, Thai Union did point to a 5.1%
fall in sales from its "frozen, chilled seafood and related
business". The company said that was "largely due to the impact of
Covid-19" on its hospitality business.
4
May
Greencore
reports Covid-19 case at UK factory
Greencore,
the Ireland-based convenience foods manufacturer, said an employee at its
Northampton plant in the UK has tested positive for Covid-19.
The
worker is employed at the facility in the Moulton Park area of Northampton,
which is located in the English east Midlands.
--
Covid-19
- Tyson Foods flags upcoming pressure on volumes
US
meat titan Tyson Foods has warned of pressure on its sales volumes in the
second half of its current financial year as gains made through selling to
retailers have not offset a loss in business in a foodservice market largely
shut down to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
Providing
forward-looking commentary alongside the financial results for the six months
to 28 March, Tyson said each of its divisions had seen a "shift in
demand" from the foodservice channel to the retail market.
However,
the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm owner warned: "The volume increases in
retail have not been sufficient to offset the losses in foodservice and as a
result, we expect decreases in volumes in the second half of fiscal 2020.
--
Aryzta
provides update on plant closures, capital spend amid Covid-19
Aryzta
has provided an update on the actions the Swiss-Irish bakery business has taken
during the coronavirus crisis, including a pause in production at certain
plants in Europe and North America, and the suspension of new projects under
its turnaround programme.
--
Hormel's
Rochelle Foods arm re-opens facility following employee testing
Rochelle
Foods, the US business owned by Hormel Foods, has re-opened its facility in
Illinois today after testing workers for Covid-19 and introducing new safety
measures at its plant.
The
company, which makes a variety of products for foodservice and retail
customers, including microwaveable and pre-cooked bacon, foodservice and retail
bacon, deli hams and Hormel Compleats microwaveable meals, closed its operation
down for 14 days.
It
said the vast majority of its employees had tested negative for the virus.
During
the pause in operations it carried out a deeo cleaning of high-touch areas,
reconfigured common areas and workstations, revised shift scheduling,
introduced new guidelines on carpooling and brought in more extensive
social distancing measures.
Bill
Rice, Rochelle Foods plant manager said: "We have put the safety of our
team members first throughout this pandemic and will continue to do so."
--
Covid-19
- Kellogg pushes back Incogmeato launch
Kellogg
is pushing back the planned launch of plant-based brand Incogmeato due to the
Covid-19 outbreak.
--
Covid-19
- Staff hit at Irish pork supplier Rosderra
Ireland-based
pork supplier Rosderra Irish Meats Group has seen dozens of staff test positive
for the novel coronavirus, according to a senior member of the Irish
parliament.
--
Ireland
has "six clusters" of Covid-19 in meat plants, government signals
Ireland
has "six clusters" of Covid-19 in meat factories, the country's
Agriculture Minister has said.
Michael
Creed, Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, revealed the
number of groups of cases in the country's parliament, the Dáil, on Thursday
(30 April). He did not disclose their location.
1
May
Tyson
to re-open Covid-battered Logansport plant
US
meat giant Tyson Foods has announced that it is to re-open its Logansport,
Indiana, plant next week despite local media reports suggesting nearly 900
workers there have contracted the Covid-19 virus.
--
Pilgrim's
Pride point to automation as an ally in Covid-19 fight
Pilgrim's
Pride believes investment in automation in its plants has helped the US poultry
heavyweight avoid the worst of Covid-19.
--
Tyson
Foods linked to large number of Covid-19 cases at single plant
Media
outlets in the US suggest that local meat giant Tyson Foods has seen nearly 900
workers at one of its plants test positive for Covid-19.
--
Kraft
Heinz adapt to "unprecedented call to action"
Kraft
Heinz's first-quarter results issued this week unsurprisingly reflected the
artificial demand from Covid-19, a facet that's unlikely to be sustained beyond
the current crisis. Simon Harvey looks at the key takeaways as markets seek
evidence the company's "paradigm shift" is working.
--
Covid-19
cases reportedly surging at JBS beef plant in US
Cases
of Covid-19 at a US beef plant owned by Brazilian meat giant JBS have
reportedly surged since the facility was reopened a week ago.
--
Covid-19-linked
demand sees Meatless Farm launch D2C service
The
Meatless Farm Co., a UK-based alternative-protein start-up, has
launched a direct-to-consumer service ahead of schedule to cater to the
increased demand from coronavirus.
30
April
Tyson
Foods said to be idling Nebraska plant in Covid-19 move
Tyson
Foods is reportedly set to halt operations at the US meat giant's beef plant in
Dakota City, Nebraska, to undertake deep cleaning in the midst of the
coronavirus outbreak.
--
Cargill
to re-open shuttered Canada plant
Cargill
is to reopen a meat plant in the Canadian state of Alberta next week that was
closed down temporarily amid reports hundreds of workers had contracted
coronavirus.
The
US-based agri-food business said the High River facility will resume operations
on Monday, 4 May, after being idle for 14 days, following consultations with
Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS).
--
Northern
Ireland could face heavy agri-food job losses - warning
Northern
Ireland's agri-food industry could face 10,000 job losses as a result of the
Covid-19 pandemic, a senior politician in the province has warned.
--
Meat
shortages could change US eating habits, says GlobalData
Potential
meat shortages in the US caused by the closure of processing plants due to
Covid-19 could usher in marked changes in the country's eating habits,
according to UK-headquartered data and analytics firm GlobalData.
--
Canada's
Sofina Foods reports case at Port Coquitlam plant
Sofina
Foods, a Canada-based branded and private-label meat supplier, said one of its
employees has tested positive for Covid-19 at its plant in British Columbia.
The
privately-owned business, which is headquartered in Markham, Ontario, said
today (30 April) the site in question is located at Port Coquitlam, near
Vancouver.
Kuljeet
Chahal, the plant's manager, said: "The employee lives with relatives who
work at a local plant where, recently, several employees tested positive for
the virus, including one of the employee's relatives. We have been preparing
for this type of incident and quickly sprang into action to assess risks and
identify any action needed in addition to the proactive measures we already
have in place."
Port
Coquitlam produces fresh chicken products and employs more than 400
people, Sofina said.
--
Kerry
Group pulls guidance amid coronavirus uncertainty
Ireland-based Kerry
Group has pulled its financial guidance due to the implications of
coronavirus, which boosted the Richmond sausages owner's retail sales in the
first quarter as more people ate at home, but hit foodservice operations.
--
Turkey
giant Butterball hit by Covid-19 outbreak
Butterball,
the US turkey processor, has seen an outbreak of positive Covid-19 cases
amongst the workforce at one of its plants.
Local
media reports suggest nearly 60 workers at the Mount Olive facility in North
Carolina, where Butterball is based, have come down with the virus.
--
JBS
to re-open Minnesota pork plant for slaughtering operation
Brazilian
meat heavyweight JBS is to re-open a US plant closed because of a Covid-19
outbreak, according to reports.
News
agency Reuters reports that the company's Worthington, Minnesota,
plant is to re-open but to kill up to 13,000 pigs a day for farmers, not to
produce meat for consumers.
US
farmers have been forced to cull livestock after meat plants where they would
normally be sent closed to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Reuters
quoted JBS as saying it will need only ten to 20 employees of the 2,000 workers
at its Worthington plant to manage the "humane euthanasia" of pigs.
The
plant stopped operations on April 20. Until then it processed 20,000 hogs per
day.
--
How
will Covid-19 shape D2C platforms?
We've
seen some radical changes in the way people shop over the past couple of months
in light of the coronavirus pandemic. But how might that influence the
manufacturer's approach to direct-to-consumer services? Simon Harvey looks at
the life for D2C post-crisis.
--
Covid-19
outbreak amongst Romanian workers in German meat plant, government says
Around
200 Romanians working at an unnamed German slaughterhouse have tested positive
for the coronavirus, Romania's foreign ministry (MFA) has said.
According
to the ministry, those infected had all been working at a slaughterhouse in the
south western German town of Birkenfeld, where 500 of the 700 employees are
Romanian.
"German
authorities say 300 employees are confirmed with Covid-19 and are now in
quarantine. So far there is no precise data regarding the citizenship of those
infected, but the majority (over 200) are Romanian citizens," the ministry
said in a statement.
29 April
President
Trump orders meat plants to stay open
US
President Donald Trump has ordered the country's meat processing plants to stay
open during the coronavirus crisis.
He
is signing an executive order to that effect against a backdrop of plant
closures due to Covid-19 outbreaks and warnings about meat shortages in US
supermarkets as a result.
--
Mondelez
parks guidance amid Covid-19 uncertainty
Mondelez
International has retracted its financial outlook due to a lack of
"visibility" into the impact of Covid-19 even as the US-based snacks
maker reported a "strong" first quarter.
--
PepsiCo
to invest in brands selling well during lockdown
US
food and beverages giant PepsiCo is to invest in products such as cereal brand
Quaker that have benefited from people eating at home during the
Covid-19 lockdown.
--
Fazer
warns of Covid-19-linked job losses
Fazer Group
has warned of further coronavirus-related lay-offs as it prepares to start
talks with employees at its confectionery plant in the Finnish city of Vantaa.
--
Meal-kit
firm Blue Apron sees rise in demand during lockdown
Blue
Apron, the New York-based meal-kit firm, has seen demand for its products
increase during lockdown.
Delivering
its Q1, 2020, results, the company said that since that quarter ended it
has seen a significant increase in demand "following the various stay
at-home and restaurant restriction orders and other restrictions on consumers
that have been enacted throughout much of the country in response to the
Covid-19 pandemic".
CEO
Linda Findley Kozlowski, said: "As we move into the second quarter of
2020, we are focused on driving customer retention and establishing longer-term
consumer habits out of the heightened demand we have been seeing as a result of
the impact of Covid-19."
In
order to meet the increased demand, the company is increasing capacity at its
fulfilment centres, including hiring new employees and temporarily reducing
variety in menu options, which limits the need to change production lines and
allows for more time to pack meal kits.
28 April
PepsiCo
Q1 sales up, pulls guidance due to Covid-19 uncertainties?
PepsiCo
has pulled its financial guidance for the year as the US-based food and
beverages giant said the coronavirus crisis has thrown up too many
uncertainties to accurately predict the outlook.
The
Frito-Lay and Walkers crisps owner made the announcement in conjunction with
its first-quarter results to 21 March, with revenue up but both operating and
net profits down on a reported basis.
--
Bimbo
signals China QSR recovery
Grupo Bimbo,
the world's largest bakery business, has indicated it is seeing signs of
recovery in China's quick-service-restaurant channel.
Reporting
its first-quarter financial results yesterday (27 April), Bimbo's management
offered some flavour on developments in China's QSR market.
"We're
seeing in China [it's] starting to recover the QSR market, as well as
Korea," Bimbo CEO Daniel Servitje said. "We are hopeful that we will
start to see a good trend over the coming quarters in terms of how they fast
can get back to their previous levels. It's not going to be certainly in Q2 or
Q3, the same level as we had in Q1 but we are thinking that we are on the right
track as we are starting to see the situation evolve country-by-country."
Asked
if Bimbo was seeing QSR restaurants were running at a reported 40% capacity in
China, Servitje added: "Well, we have, I will say, a bit higher number
than the one that you mentioned about – and we are seeing an upward trend every
week since they restarted their economy."
Foodservice
accounts for around 10% of Bimbo's sales, Servitje said. Four of the company's
factories supplying the QSR market are closed: one each in France, South
Africa, Morocco and Kazakhstan. A plant in Wuhan Bimbo shut in February has
re-opened, Servitje confirmed yesterday.
In
the first quarter, overall Bimbo sales rose 7% to MXN74.4bn (US$3.05bn). Bimbo
said its "adjusted" EBITDA was up 11% at MXN8.9bn. Net majority
income fell back significantly – from MXN1.32bn a year ago to MXN20m – due to
costs linked to pensions.
--
UK
meat group Cranswick pushes back FY results
Cranswick,
one of the UK's largest meat processors, has delayed the publication of its
annual financial figures, which were due to be unveiled next month.
"Following
guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Reporting
Council relating to the unprecedented challenges faced by companies and their
auditors in preparing financial information and accounts during the Covid-19
pandemic, the group now expects to report its preliminary results for the year
ended 31 March 2020 on 23 June 2020, instead of the previously announced date
of 19 May 2020," Cranswick said in a stock-exchange filing today.
"This
new date has been agreed with the group's auditors to also allow them
additional time to carry out the necessary audit process in light of travel and
social distancing restrictions."
--
Hormel-owned
Fontanini Foods to furlough staff
US-based
Fontanini Foods, owned by local heavyweight Hormel Foods, is to furlough, or
temporarily lay off, 150 workers as Covid-19 takes its toll on the business.
--
Chocolate
giant Ferrero partially closes Canada plant in Covid-19 move
Confectionery
maker Ferrero
has closed parts of its chocolate plant in Ontario, Canada, after three
employees contracted coronavirus.
The
Italy-headquartered business said it shut "two departments" at the
facility in the city of Brantford, which makes the Ferrero Rocher brand of
treats, until 3 May. It added the affected employees had self-isolated for at
least a week before being confirmed as having Covid-19.
--
Freshways
director recovering in London hospital
Freshways
have said the operations director of the UK-based dairy firm is now recovering
in hospital after contracting coronavirus.
--
South
Dakota governor speaks on closed Smithfield plant
Kristi
Noem, South Dakota's governor, has said Smithfield Foods' closed
pork-processing factory in the state's city of Sioux Falls could be open
"in a matter of days" pending work on some "mitigation
measures".
Smithfield
announced the closure of the Sioux Falls factory on 12 April "until
further notice" amid what were reported to be dozens of
positive cases of Covid-19 among staff. The facility represents 4-5% of
total pork production in the US. Reports subsequently claimed the plant had more
than 500 Covid-19 cases.
Speaking
to US broadcaster Fox News yesterday, Noem said she was hopeful the
plant could soon re-open. "I'm hopeful that we can get it opened as
soon as possible," Noem said. "They have some mitigation measures to
put in place, but I think in a matter of days it could be opened, as long as
everybody continues to work together and get it done."
Speaking
to just-food yesterday, Keira Lombardo, Smithfield's executive vice
president of corporate Affairs and compliance, said the company was in the
process of studying a report on the factory issued last week by the
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She added: "We will
thoroughly and carefully examine the report point by point and respond in full
once our assessment is complete."
27
April
Nestle
CEO expects post-Covid-19 boost for e-commerce
The
food and beverage industries could see greater sales made through e-commerce in
the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider has suggested.
During
the first quarter, Nestlé saw e-commerce sales for its petcare and coffee
businesses and, speaking to analysts after the world's largest food maker
posted its sales for the opening three months of the year, Schneider suggested
the channel could grow in importance for the food and beverage markets.
"This
is a key area where we saw true significant increases," Schneider said of
Nestlé's Q1. "I think some of that will be here to stay. One of the
side-effects of this crisis will be it will be a breakthrough event when it
comes to e-commerce for food and beverage.
just-food
Analysis: Nestle's Q1 sales, FY guidance and post-Covid reflections - five
things to learn
--
UK
furloughed workers 'could be used to pick fruit'
George
Eustice, the UK's Environment Secretary, has said he is in talks with industry
to see if furloughed, or temporarily laid off, workers could help with
picking fruit in June.
--
Tyson
Foods chairman issues industry supply warning
US
meat titan Tyson Foods has warned of US meat shortages because
of the number of plants shut by the Covid-19 virus.
In
statements posted in US media outlets including The New York Times,
company chairman John Tyson said the "food supply chain is breaking"
as livestock and processing plants are closed because of the virus's spread
among workers.
Tyson
announced
the closing of a number of pork and beef processing facilities last week
in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus while other major meat
processors in the US have done likewise.
"There
will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are
able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed," Mr Tyson said.
--
Cal-Maine
denies Covid-19 price-hiking charge
Cal-Maine
Foods has said it will "vigorously defend itself" against a
lawsuit issued by the Texas attorney general alleging the US-based egg supplier
has engaged in price-hiking during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The
lawsuit alleges that Cal-Maine hiked the price of eggs from about US$1.00 per
dozen to about $3.00, despite experiencing no disruption to its supply chain.
--
US
poultry processor Foster Farms
has seen four employees at its plant in Kelso, Washington, test positive for
coronavirus.
Cowlitz
County health officials said in a statement seen by just-food that the positive
tests came to light when a phased testing procedure for potentially exposed
plant employees was carried out on 22 April on 77 workers at the plant.
It
said that in coordination with Foster Farms, health officials will conduct a
second round of testing at Foster Farms on approximately 115 additional
employees today (27 April).
--
Tesco
extends helping hand to potato grower Branston
Tesco
is trying to help UK farmers left with surplus stock because of the shut down
of restaurants during the lock down and has agreed a tie-up with potato grower
Branston.
The
big four UK supermarket chain will be stocking Branston's 2.5 kilogram bags of
white, baking and 'Perfectly Imperfect' potatoes normally destined for
foodservice channels such as chip shops during the next two weeks.
Branston
is based in the village of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire.
Since
the start of the coronavirus crisis, Tesco said potato prices had increased by
around 20% due to "inflated demand".
Ben
Rowbotham, who is in charge of potato sourcing at Tesco, said: "Taking
these surplus potatoes not only helps meet the extra demand at the moment but
also supports growers at a time when many are facing a real struggle to keep
their businesses going. The varieties are mainly ones used for making chips, so
while they might not look as cosmetically perfect as others they will still be
delicious and excellent for pan frying, sautéing, making potato wedges and
other dishes."
A
new week and more news from North America on how the pandemic is affecting
production among food manufacturers.
JBS
plant in Wisconsin becomes fourth hit by Covid-19, two others reopen
Brazilian
meat packer JBS has closed a fourth US plant because of coronavirus, this time
in the state of Wisconsin.
The
temporary shutdown at the firm's Green Bay facility was announced yesterday (26
April). Previously closed beef processing plants in Souderton, Pennsylvania,
and Greeley, Colorado have reopened, JBS said in a statement, adding that its
pork facility in Worthington, Minnesota, remains in shut-down mode.
--
Smithfield
to close another US plant
US
pork-processing giant Smithfield Foods is to shut another plant this week due
to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Smithfield,
owned by China's WH Group, said it is to "suspend operations" at its
facility in Monmouth, Illinois from this next week "until further
notice".
The
company, which has shut sites in Iowa, Wisconsin and Montana, added "a
small portion" of the 1,700 employees at the Monmouth plant had tested
positive for the novel coronavirus.
--
More
McCain Foods jobs hit by foodservice slump
McCain
Foods, the Canada-based potato-products supplier, has confirmed more jobs have
been affected as the company tries to adjust to how Covid-19 has affected
demand.
The
company is temporarily laying off workers at a site in its domestic market, a
move that follows cuts to production in the UK, where workers were also put on
leave.
24
April
US
union says up to 6,500 food plant workers impacted by Covid-19
The
US United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is urging the
government to provide more protective equipment for food plant employees,
claiming up to 6,500 workers have been infected with or are exposed to the
virus.
--
Tyson
plant closures continue with Shelbyville shuttered for cleaning
Tyson
Foods, the US meat titan, has confirmed that the Covid-19 outbreak has forced
it to close another plant.
After the announcements of three plant closures already this week, the Jimmy
Dean brand owner has said its plant at Shelbyville, Tennessee, facility is to
close temporarily for cleaning.
--
Tyson
suspends operations at Washington State plant
US
meat heavyweight Tyson Foods has suspended production at its Pasco, Washington,
beef facility while employees there undergo Covid-19 testing.
It
is the third closure announced by the company this week.
--
Cloetta
coy on layoffs as Covid-19 halts eight quarters of growth
Speaking
to analysts after reporting first-quarter results, Cloetta's CEO said talks
with employees over potential Covid-19-related layoffs have concluded but was
reluctant to provide specifics on numbers at this stage as the impact of the
virus halted eight consecutive quarters of growth.
--
Nestle
Q1 sales beat consensus, maintains FY guidance
Nestlé
today (24 April) posted first-quarter sales that beat market expectations, with
the world's largest food maker bucking a trend among peers and keeping in place
its guidance for the rest of 2020.
--
Coronavirus
- Cloetta issues profit warning as first-quarter sales fall
Cloetta has
warned its second-quarter profits will be "significantly lower" than
last year amid the upheaval from the coronavirus crisis, which has caused the
Sweden-based confectionery maker to withdraw its dividend.
--
Tyson
Foods CFO moves to cool fears over meat supply
The
chief financial officer (CFO) of US meat giant Tyson Foods has advised
consumers not to panic over potential meat shortages.
23 April
Analysis:
Unilever Q1 sales update and post-Covid thoughts - six things to learn
Flat
sales and a guidance withdrawal no doubt weighed on Unilever's shares but,
digging down, how did the Wall's ice cream maker's food business perform in Q1?
And how does the FMCG giant view the rest of the year – and beyond?
Dean Best reports.
--
Post-Covid-19
consumer will want "value" - Unilever CEO
The
notion of "value" will rise up the consumer's agenda as the
macroeconomic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic hits spending, Unilever CEO Alan
Jope has said today (23 April).
Speaking
to analysts after Unilever reported its sales for the first quarter of 2020,
Jope outlined how the FMCG giant was looking at the consumer and category
landscape post-Covid-19.
--
Coronavirus
- Hershey joins club of food firms pulling guidance
Snacks
maker Hershey has withdrawn its financial guidance for the year because chief
executive Michele Buck said it has become increasingly difficult to predict the
coronavirus impact on the US business.
--
Unilever
extracts guidance as Covid-19 weighs on sales
Unilever
has extracted its financial guidance after the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant
reported the impact of Covid-19 on its business in the first quarter, when
underlying sales growth was flat.
Emerging
markets were hit the most, with sales down 1.8%, while the performance in
developed countries showed a 2.8% increase in sales.Unilever said China
"slowed significantly" during the country's Covid-19 lock down, which
began in January, as foodservice demand declined, and ice cream and retail
sales tailed off. Meanwhile, Europe and North America "saw a positive
impact of household stocking in March".
--
Tyson
Foods suspends operations at Indiana plant in Covid-19 move
US
meat giant Tyson Foods is to temporarily close its Logansport facility in
Indiana to carry out Covid-19 testing among its workforce there.
Just after
a day after the company announced it is to "indefinitely suspend
operations" at a pork facility in Waterloo, Iowa, the company said its
Logansport plant would cease operations temporarily on or before Saturday (25
April).
--
Conagra
closes frozen food facility after Covid-19 outbreak among workforce
US
food group Conagra Brands has temporarily halted production at a frozen food
plant after an outbreak of the Covid-19 virus among employees there.
22 April
The
West must transform its economic logic in light of the coronavirus
Against
a life-threatening virus and a shortage of medical equipment, neither the free
market nor socialist policies can be made to work. What we need is a different
set of principles: a set of principles that transforms the economic logic of
the West, writes Robert Skidelsky – author of a three-volume biography of J M
Keynes, a cross-bench peer and emeritus professor of political economy at the
University of Warwick – in the New Statesman today.
"Since
we have no ethically accepted principle of choosing between who is to live and
who to die, we should take exceptional pains to ensure that we do not face
acute shortages of life-preserving equipment. It is a scandal that the
developed world was caught so short of tools to deal with the pandemic,"
he writes.
"We
need to restore what used to be called 'the precautionary principle'. In all
those situations in which we can rationally anticipate a severe
life-threatening event, 'just-in-time' thinking needs to be replaced by
'just-in-case' thinking."
You
can read the full article here.
--
Gordon
Brown on economic crises, the retreat from globalisation and the fight against
Covid-19
In
a wide-ranging interview published on the New Statesman today, former
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the coronavirus pandemic is
"undoubtedly a crisis of globalisation" – but the solution is more
global cooperation, not less.
Brown
says the crisis will "force us to rethink what we mean by the management
of the global economy", as well as what constitutes the "right
policies for a global society".
"It
is the beginning of a period of quite intense rethinking, partly because we
enter it having had a period of protectionism ... the past two or three
years, we've moved to a more aggressive nationalism, which is America First.
It's the attempt to put populist nationalism on a global level – India First,
China First and everything else – so you've got, if you like, a global coalition
of anti-globalists," he says.
"Some
of the assumptions of globalisation are being challenged, but it actually makes
it more important that we put the case for global cooperation rather than
simply accept that certain countries are resistant to it. If you've got a
medical emergency, a pandemic, it is the most obvious example of where
countries have to cooperate. You cannot solve this problem in one country; it
has got to be solved in every country.
"Even
the most isolationist nations must know that you cannot solve it simply in the
US or Europe. If you can't agree on health multilateralism, what kind of
multilateralism can you agree on?" Brown also speaks about the dangers of
"vaccine nationalism", about the prospect of a universal basic income,
and how coronavirus will change the UK's social contract.
You
can read the full piece here.
--
Nestle
gets clearance to run all India plants
Nestlé
has received the green light from government officials in India to re-start
production at all its factories in the country.
Last
month, the Maggi maker said it had "scaled down or suspended" parts
of its operations in India after parts of the country had implemented lockdown
measures. Hours after Nestlé's announcement, India's Prime Minister, Narenda
Modi, announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, a measure since extended to
last until 3 May.
Yesterday,
the publicly-listed Nestlé India issued a stock-exchange filing that provided
an update on its manufacturing network in the country.
--
Covid-19
- USDA launches assistance programme for food supply chain
The
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched the Coronavirus Food
Assistance Program to aid farmers, ranchers and food distributors and to
"maintain the integrity" of the country's food supply chain.
The
US$19bn relief programme includes $16bn in direct support to framer and
ranchers based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and
market supply chains have been impacted
It
is intended to assist them with additional adjustment and marketing costs
resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing
year caused by Covid-19.
--
Tyson
Foods "indefinitely suspends" output at US meat plant
A
day after announcing production would re-start at one coronavirus-hit plant in
the US, Tyson Foods said today (22 April) it would stop output at another.
Tyson
plans to "indefinitely suspend operations" at a pork facility in
Waterloo, Iowa, this week.
Scaled-down
production at Tyson's fresh beef and pork facility 120 months south in Columbus
Junction started yesterday. Manufacturing at the plant was suspended two weeks
ago because of a number of Covid-19 cases, and, according to reports, some
deaths.
--
Danone
sees a post-Covid-19 boost for 'big brands'
Big
brands might be able to prosper as consumers adjust after the Covid-19
pandemic, Danone
has suggested.
Speaking
to analysts yesterday (21 April) after Danone reported its first-quarter sales
- and withdrew its financial guidance for 2020 - the company's management,
though underlining it is hard to make firm forecasts on future consumer
behaviour, indicated their belief larger brands could resonate with shoppers.
--
Cargill
'to idle plant' hit by Covid-19 outbreak
US
agri-food giant Cargill is to reportedly suspended operations at a meat factory
in North America as health officials said hundreds of the facility's staff have
been infected with Covid-19.
Glanbia
pulls guidance on back of Covid-19 uncertainty
Glanbia has
pulled its financial guidance for the year as the Ireland-based dairy and
sports nutrition business said volatile trading conditions due to the
coronavirus crisis became more pronounced toward the end of the first quarter
and beyond.
--
A2
Milk Co. sees sales boosted by virus-linked pantry-loading
New
Zealand-based dairy and infant-formula producer A2 Milk Co.
has experienced a sales boost as result of Covid-19-linked pantry-loading, it
said in a trading update issued on the Australian Securities Exchange
(ASX), on which it is listed, this morning (22 April).
21 April
Danone
Q1 sales update and adapting to Covid-19 - six things to learn
Danone
today (21 April) posted first-quarter sales that beat analyst expectations,
with the French giant boosted by Covid-19 pantry-loading. However, the Alpro
maker withdrew its financial guidance for 2020, which may have weighed on its
share price. Dean Best takes a look at the numbers and Danone's commentary.
--
Tyson
Foods to partially reopen Covid-19-hit plant
Tyson
Foods will start scaled-down production at its fresh beef and pork facility in Columbus
Junction, Iowa, today (21 April) after manufacturing was suspended two weeks
ago because of a number of Covid-19 cases, and, according to reports, some
deaths.
--
Covid-19
- Another plant linked to Hormel Foods to close
Don
Miguel Foods, a US-based Mexican foods manufacturer, has been forced to close
its plant temporarily due to the spread of Covid-19, adding another facility
associated with food giant Hormel Foods to be shutdown.
JBS
'to close pork facility hit by Covid-19 in US'
Brazilian
meat giant JBS will reportedly shut down its pork processing plant in Minnesota
run by its US subsidiary after seven workers tested positive for Covid-19.
Over
a week ago, JBS, one of the world's largest meat processors, announced the
temporary closure of a beef plant located in Greeley in Colorado's Weld County
until 24 April, again because of coronavirus.
--
J.M.
Smucker gets sales boost from pantry-loading
US
jam, peanut butter, relishes and snacks maker J. M. Smucker has improved its
sales guidance for its fiscal year, reflecting a Covid-19-linked surge in
demand for the sort of products it manufactures and a relatively small exposure
to the foodservice channel.
J.
M. Smucker is still forecasting a decline in annual sales but one not as steep
as previously thought.
--
Danone
sales boosted but guidance abandoned against backdrop of Covid-19 volatility
French
dairy giant Danone said it will not be providing financial guidance for the
rest of this year because of the uncertain economic climate created by the
Covid-19 pandemic.
--
ABF
refrains from giving guidance in light of coronavirus impact
Associated
British Foods has refrained from providing financial guidance for the
year and will not declare a dividend as the impact from the coronavirus crisis
is expected to ramp up in the second half.
--
Covid-19
cases force Canada's High Liner Foods to close plant
High
Liner Foods, the Canadian frozen seafood products company, is to temporarily
close its plant in Portsmouth, Ontario, following the discovery of confirmed
Covid-19 cases amongst its employees there.
--
New
Zealand dairy heavyweight Fonterra is to maintain strict
safety controls even though the country has announced the gradual lifting of
Covid-19-linked lockdown restrictions.
The
cooperative, the world's largest dairy exporter, said it will keep operating a
level 4 health and safety regime even when the country moves to a level 3.
New
Zealand has announced it will ease restrictions from next week. Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern said yesterday (20 April) that the country had succeeded in
stopping "an uncontrolled explosion" of the disease.
The
country will be put on a level 3 alert from 27 April for at least two
weeks, then the government will assess whether to further relax the lockdown.
But
Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell, speaking at a Trans-Tasman Business Circle event,
said it will remain under a level 4 scenario.
"We
just can't afford the risk of any disruption to our supply chains," he
said.
Fonterra
said it will not ease its controls until the government reduced the alert level
to 2, when it would look at a phased return to the workplace, with extra safety
precautions and travel restrictions remaining.
20
April
India's
food sector hoping disruption will ease despite lockdown extension
In
New Delhi, our correspondent reports on how India's packaged food industry is
hoping to restart more of its operations this week, with leading members saying
state and municipal governments are increasingly willing to approve exemptions
for the sector from a nationwide Covid-19 lockdown on manufacturing and trade,
currently in place until 3 May.
--
Another
Hormel Foods subsidiary announces temporary closure
US
meat giant Hormel Foods revealed a plant owned by its Alma Foods
subsidiary is to close temporarily due to a positive Covid-19 case, adding to
another unit's site closure announced earlier today (see below).
--
Tyson
Foods 'reports more Covid-19 staff deaths'
Tyson
Foods, one of the world's largest meat companies, has reportedly confirmed more
of its domestic staff have died from Covid-19.
According
to AP, the meat titan has said three employees at its
chicken-processing plant in Camilla, Georgia have died after contracting the
novel coronavirus. A fourth person, who worked in what was described in the
report as a supporting job outside the plant, has also died.
--
Column:
How Covid-19 might shape consumer trends in China
Packaged-food
companies mulling the post-Covid-19 consumer will be watching China with
interest. Our local columnist Peter Peverelli sets out some trends that could
take hold.
--
Cargill
meat plant in Canada linked to 358 cases of Covid-19
US
agri-food giant Cargill has been linked with a mass outbreak of Covid-19 at its
Canadian meat-packing plant in High River, Alberta.
--
UK's
Premier Foods forecasts elevated sales volumes
Premier
Foods, the UK manufacturer of largely shelf-stable foods, expects sales
volumes to continue to be above-average after a "dramatic short-term
peak" in March.
The
owner of Mr Kipling cakes said it has seen the spike in volumes "across
many of its categories" last month.
And,
in a trading update to the London Stock Exchange this morning, Premier added:
"Volumes have started to reduce from the exceptional levels seen in March,
although are still expected to continue to be higher than average patterns of
demand. This reflects more meals being eaten at home than usual due to recent
measures set out by HM Government and hence increased demand for the group's
product ranges."
--
Italy
food sector fears fall in demand after Covid-19 spike
Italy's
higher demand for homegrown food products is "atypical and fleeting",
the president of food industry association Federalimentare has warned.
Ivano
Vacondio said hoarding by Italian consumers during the Covid-19 outbreak has,
until now, camouflaged problems that will soon emerge.
--
Hormel
subsidiary Rochelle Foods closed down in Covid-19 scare
US-based
Rochelle Foods, owned by local heavyweight Hormel Foods, has been forced to
halt production for 14 days as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The
Illinois company, which makes bacon and ham-based products and microwaveable
meals for the foodservice and retail channels, has been shut down by the local
health department.
--
Armanino
Foods of Distinction predicts Q2 loss as foodservice factor bites
US
speciality food manufacturer Armanino Foods of Distinction has said it
expecting to post a loss in the second quarter as a result of Covid-19.
17 April
Mondelez
International talks snacks trends and Covid-19
In
an exclusive interview with just-food, US snacks giant Mondelez International
talks about SnackFutures, an innovation and venture hub the Oreo owner set up
to improve its agility and identify new areas of growth.
In
the interview, Brigette Wolf, the head of innovation at SnackFutures,
discusses the company's recent investments in start-ups and its launch of four
new brands.
And
Wolf also discussed how Mondelez sees Covid-19 shaping demand for snacks.
--
Smithfield
Foods 'has more than 500 Covid-19 cases' at Sioux Falls plant
Reports,
unconfirmed by the company, suggest that there are now more than 500
Covid-19 cases at US meat giant Smithfield Foods' pork processing plant in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
--
Nestle
confirms UK worker has tested positive for Covid-19
Nestlé has
confirmed an employee at its confectionery factory in the UK town of Halifax
has tested positive for Covid-19 and is receiving treatment in hospital.
--
Covid-19
- Greenyard raises sales guidance after surge in demand
Belgium-based
fruit and veg supplier Greenyard
has adjusted its sales guidance upwards after seeing a surge in demand for its
produce linked to the Covid-19 outbreak.
--
South
African alt-meat firm Fry's closes plant after confirmed Covid-19 case
Fry
Group Foods, the South African meat-free manufacturer, has temporarily closed
its facility after a manager contracted the Covid-19 virus.
The
Durban-based company, which makes plant-based burgers and sausages amongst
other products, confirmed in a statement sent to just-food that its Westmead
premises will be locking its doors.
--
General
Mills points to demand for brands consumers "trust"
General
Mills CEO Jeff Harmening said the US food company has seen an uplift in sales
as people turn to comfort food while staying at home during the outbreak.
Speaking
to the Fox News Network, he said: "Consumers have rediscovered
brands that they known and trust like Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and Cheerios and
as a result we have seen demand for our products grow.
"Where
we've really seen an increase is in meal occasions as people are no longer eating
out at restaurants."
Asked
about issues linked to manufacturing, Harmening said General Mills has seen
attendance levels of 95%+ at its plants.
--
Tiger
Brands closes bread factory after Covid-19 cases
South
Africa's Tiger
Brands has shut a bread production facility after an undisclosed number
of coronavirus cases among staff.
Tiger
said it would "temporarily close" its bakery in the city of Durban
"as a precautionary measure after some staff members tested positive for
Covid-19".
--
Nordic
group Orkla reports boost to Q1 sales
Orkla,
the Norway-based FMCG group, has reported growing first-quarter sales, helped
in part by higher demand linked to the coronavirus outbreak.
The
company, which today (17 April) issued a preliminary sales update ahead of a
fuller announcement of its first-quarter results in early May, said its revenue
in the first three months of the year was up 13% at NOK11.51bn (US$1.1bn).
Revenue
from Orkla's core "branded consumer goods" business grew 15% to
NOK11.32bn.
Looking
at revenue per business unit, Orkla Foods saw its revenue grow 19% (and by 11%
on an organic basis).
Sales
from Orkla's Confectionery & Snacks arm rose more slowly, increasing by 7%
during the quarter (and by 2% on an organic basis).
Orkla
Food Ingredients, which does have some exposure to the out-of-home market, saw
its sales fall 1% on an organic basis, although they rose 12% on a reported
basis, helped, in part, by M&A.
--
Ter
Beke brings Offerman meat business in-house, provides update on Covid-19
Ter Beke plans
to integrate its meat-processing operations in the Netherlands by bringing the
Offerman business in-house just as the Belgian food group has taken other
measures to deal with the volatile demand arising from the coronavirus crisis.
16 April
Cargill
reduces shifts at protein plant in Canada
US-based
agri-food business Cargill has reduced shifts at a meat processing plant in
Canada after an undisclosed number of employees tested positive for the deadly
Covid-19 virus.
--
UK
union GMB urges government to convene food factory safety summit
UK
trade union GMB, which represents food production workers, has called for a
Covid-19 food factory safety summit amid concerns about a lack of social
distancing within facilities.
GMB
has asked the government to convene an urgent meeting with grocery retailers
and industry body the Food and Drink Federation to thrash out the issue.
--
Aldi
dips toe into home delivery in UK
German
discounter Aldi is to join the online grocery fray in the UK, launching a
service tomorrow for "vulnerable customers".
The
retailer said it will sell "ambient food parcels", containing 22
items including tinned soup, rice and pasta.
The
parcels are available online at https://www.aldi.co.uk/food-parcels and will
retail at £24.99 inclusive of delivery. They will be limited to one per
customer.
Aldi
is the UK's fifth-largest food retailer by market share, accounting for 8% of
sales in the 12 weeks to 22 March, according to the latest data issued by
Kantar. Its sales grew by 11% during the period.
The
retailer has 875 stores in the UK. By 2025, Aldi plans to operate
more than 1,200 outlets.
Here's
some analysis of this move, written by our colleagues at GlobalData: Aldi's
UK online grocery push will be closely watched
--
US
government to intervene to aid food supply chain
The
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to take steps to maintain the country's
food supply chain which is threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This
includes buying meat and milk to help farmers hit by coronavirus.
In
an interview with Fox Business Network, Agriculture Secretary Sonny
Perdue said: "We want to purchase as much of this milk, or other protein
products, hams and pork products, and move them into where they can be utilised
in our food banks, or possibly even into international humanitarian aid."
-
US
meat giant Smithfield announces further facility closures
Smithfield
Foods, the US meat giant, has announced it is to close two more processing
facilities after positive Covid-19 tests amongst its workers.
--
Campbell
Soup reports six Covid-19 cases at Pennsylvania bakery plant
Campbell
Soup Co. said six employees at the US food heavyweight's Denver, Pennsylvania,
bakery plant have tested positive for Covid-19 and are in quarantine.
--
Coronavirus
- Australia's Costa Group withdraws guidance despite "robust trading"
Costa Group
Holdings, an Australia-based fruit and vegetable supplier, has withdrawn its
financial guidance because of the uncertainties from coronavirus, despite
noting a "robust trading performance" for the year so far.
15 April
Covid-19
to spark "new era of responsible consumption" - Unilever CEO
The
Covid-19 pandemic will "herald a new era of responsible consumption",
Unilever chief executive Alan Jope has predicted.
Speaking
to CNBC, Jope said the coronavirus crisis would "accelerate"
efforts among government, business and civil society to work together to tackle
"big problems" such as climate change and inequality.
Jope,
a Unilever veteran who took the helm at the Knorr and Magnum maker at the start
of 2019, also told the business broadcaster "there's no doubt the world's
going into recessionary times" and said the "value-for-money
elements" of companies' portfolios "will play an especially important
role, probably in the next three years or so".
--
Analysis:
Meat processing emerges as Covid-19 hot-spot in North America
The
meat industries in the US and Canada have seen factory suspensions and closures
due to Covid-19. How can processors react? And what might be the impact on
supply?
--
Grupo
Bimbo US employees test positive for Covid-19
Grupo
Bimbo said two employees at one of the Mexico-based bakery firm's US plants
have tested positive for Covid-19, although the facility in Lehigh Valley,
Pennsylvania remains operational.
--
Grupo
Bimbo re-opens Pennsylvania plant to cope with extra demand
The
US bakery unit of Mexico-based Grupo Bimbo is to reopen a plant in Pennsylvania
temporarily to help meet the increased demand from coronavirus as lockdowns
that have shuttered restaurants prompt people to eat more at home.
14
April
Flowers
Foods closes US bakery until late April
US
bakery business Flowers Foods is closing its Georgia plant for around two weeks
"out of an abundance of caution" after a number of employees at the
site contracted Covid-19.
The
facility in the city of Tucker, which normally employs 255 workers and produces
frozen bakery products for the foodservice sector, will reopen "on or
around" 27 April, the Nature's Own and Dave's Killer Bread brand owner
said in a statement today (14 April).
--
Potato-products
giant Aviko warns of possible job losses
Aviko,
the Netherlands-based French fries producer, has warned of potential job losses
as a result of Covid-19's impact on the foodservice channel.
The
company has asked the Dutch government for a wages subsidy to help it weather
the coronavirus storm.
--
Meat
giant JBS to shut US plant amid Covid-19 concerns
JBS,
the Brazil-based meat behemoth, has announced the closure of a beef production
facility in the US amid reported multiple cases of Covid-19 at the plant.
The company, the world's largest processor of beef, said the factory, located
in Greeley in Colorado's Weld County, will be shut until 24 April.
--
Canada's
Olymel to reopen pork plant
Olymel,
the Canadian pork and poultry processor, is to reopen a factory temporarily
closed due to a number of Covid-19 cases among employees.
The company, part of Canada's Solio Cooperative Group, said the hog slaughter
and cutting plant in Yamachiche would open today (14 April).
Olymel
announced the closure of the facility on 29 March after nine workers tested
positive for the novel coronavirus.
--
UK's
NFU calls for Covid-19 dairy sector crisis talks with government
The
UK's National Farmers Union (NFU) has asked the country's government for a
coronavirus-linked "crisis" meeting to discuss the dairy sector's
problems.
--
South
Africa's Tiger Brands closes factories
Tiger
Brands, the South Africa-based FMCG group, has shut a number of its plants as
the company adjusts to the coronavirus pandemic.
--
08:35
BST - Welcome back after what we hope was a restful Easter break (for
those of who in parts of the world that marked the festival).
Over
the period, two of just-food's network of global correspondents filed updates
of how the pandemic was affecting parts of the food industries in their
respective countries.
Spain's
food industry calls for help on PPE
Spain's
food manufacturing body has called on the country's government to offer more
help in supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) to companies that have
stayed open during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The
Federación Española de Industrias de Alimentación y Bebidas (FIAB) is also
urging the Spanish government to offer financial packages for food
manufacturers supplying restaurants and cafes closed by the lockdown and offer
companies protection against price gouging by some suppliers.
--
Scandi
Standard makes cash preservation move
Nordic
poultry products group Scandi
Standard has implemented "precautionary cash preservation
measures" in the face of the coronavirus crisis, which has pushed up
retail sales but dented its foodservice operations.
--
India
dairy players adapt production
India's
major dairy companies are reorienting procurement and processing towards solid
dairy products, taking advantage of the supply chain and demand disruptions
caused by the 21-day national lockdown imposed by the government to control the
spread of Covid-19.
--
US
pork giant Smithfield Foods closes coronavirus-hit plant
Smithfield
Foods, one of the world's largest pork producers, has closed "until
further notice" one of its biggest production facilities in the US amid
what are reported to be dozens of positive cases of Covid-19 among staff.
"The
closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants
that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously
close to the edge in terms of our meat supply," Smithfield president and
CEO Kenneth Sullivan said.
--
Column:
Why change is inevitable in the wake of Covid-19
And
our US columnist Victor Martino has today set out what he sees as the
four stages of change that will impact the country's food industry – with
analysis that will resonate beyond US borders.
Victor
writes: "As recently as February none of us had any idea 2020 would be a
year of fundamental change for the food industry.
"But
then came the Covid-19 pandemic, which is delivering a blow to the sector's
central nervous system like none we've ever experienced before. All that was
solid as we began 2020 has melted into thin air.
"Like
you all, I'm spending a considerable amount of time thinking about what the
Covid-19 pandemic means for the food industry and CPG companies, not just today
but for the immediate future. What changes will we need to make to adapt in the
wake of Covid-19?
"There
will be four waves or stages of change that will impact the food industry in
the coming months. The severity of these waves or stages of change will depend
on how severe the global pandemic is, which at this point in time is
unknown."
9
April
Bakkavor
again under fire after undercover video
UK
private-label major Bakkavor is again in the spotlight over its business
practices during the Covid-19 crisis after a manager threatened to sack staff
who stayed at home.
During
a presentation at a Bakkavor plant in London, secretly filmed and shared with
UK newspaper The Guardian and broadcaster ITV News, Sean
Madden, head of operations at the factory, said staff who missed work when they
were not sick could be first to be made redundant if cuts were needed.
The
video, which can be seen on The Guardian's website here,
has Madden telling staff: "If we need to get rid of 200 people's jobs next
month, I'm going to look at who turned up to work and I'm going to look at who
didn't bother turning up to work. The people who didn't bother turning up to
work, you know, they will be the first people that we have to get rid of
unfortunately."
--
US
poultry sector faces union criticism over Covid-19
The
US poultry sector's "delayed response" to coronavirus is
"leaving most workers unprotected", a trade union representing
thousands of workers across the food industry has warned.
The
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) claimed "the poultry
industry as a whole is getting it wrong" on safety standards, claiming
"too many workers have already been infected and are suffering the
consequences".
In
response, trade association The National Chicken Council has insisted its
members take "very seriously our responsibly to keep workers safe while
providing protein for families", with a spokesperson arguing the industry
"began increasing efforts to protect workers even before the virus started
spreading more than a month ago".
Kraft
Heinz debuts home-delivery to help isolated workers
Food
heavyweight Kraft Heinz has launched an online delivery service in the UK for
consumers to purchase its most popular canned items such as baked beans.
The
US-based business said its 'Heinz to Home' service is designed to cater to
people in self-isolation due to coronavirus and is able to deliver to homes
within three days.
As
well as Heinz Beanz, Heinz Hoops and Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup will feature
initially, with plans to follow with ketchup and baby foods. All are supplied
as bundle purchases for GBP10.00 (US$12.45).
Kraft
Heinz said it has partnered with Blue Light Card, a UK discount service for
workers in the NHS, emergency services, social care and the armed forces.
"The
shop is a first for us, and it comes in response to stories we've all heard in
the last few weeks," said Jojo de Noronha, the president of Kraft Heinz
Northern Europe. "Stories about people struggling to access food and basic
necessities, where people are understandably upset about how they are going to
eat and stay healthy during this pandemic, and about people who need food but
can't access it in any of the usual ways."
--
McCain
Foods cuts UK fries production, furloughs workers
McCain
Foods, the Canada-headquartered french fries maker, is cutting production
across three UK plants and putting some workers on leave as coronavirus
restrictions eat into foodservice demand.
--
US
dairy groups call for action as Covid-19 crimps demand
Dairy
industry groups in the US are urging the government to provide a
"comprehensive action" plan for the sector as the Covid-19 crisis causes
a disparity between supply and demand.
--
Fonterra
workers test positive at Edendale distribution site
New
Zealand-based dairy giant Fonterra said two of its employees at its Edendale
distribution centre had tested positive for Covid-19, and the facility was
closed temporarily on Tuesday (7 April) for deep cleaning.
--
France
veg giant Bonduelle suspends guidance
Bonduelle
is another major food manufacturer to have pulled its financial guidance,
citing "uncertainties" created by Covid-19.
--
Coronavirus
- Orior pulls guidance amid "dramatic" fall in foodservice
Orior,
the Switzerland-based fresh meats and pasta business, has also said it can no
longer abide by its previously-announced financial guidance due to the
uncertainties created for the listed-business from coronavirus.
--
US
major Conagra Brands details recent sales spike
Conagra
Brands, the owner of US brands such as Hunt's ketchup and Chef's Boyardee
pasta, last week provided a flavour of the impact Covid-19 is having on its
business - and bucked the trend of some of its peers withdrawing financial
guidance by announcing
it expected to exceed its previously announced outlook.
The
Banquet ready-meals maker has given another update, issuing a stock-exchange
filing ahead of meeting with investors.
Conagra's
statement last week came alongside the publication of its third-quarter results
to 23 February. The 8-K stock-exchange filing issued yesterday gave some
additional details on Conagra's performance, covering the week to 29 March.
The
company said its retail sales had jumped more than 30%, boosted by a 17.5% rise
in retail sales of its frozen food and an 11.4% increase in snacks sales.
Conagra
also said its share of all the categories in which it operates had increased by
20 basis points during that week, compared to a year ago.
--
Murray
River Organics withdraws outlook as Covid-19 impact intensifies
Murray
River Organics is pulling its financial guidance almost a month after
the Australia-based dried fruit snacks producer first revealed the initial
impact from Covid-19.
MRG
has been struggling financially for some time, reporting EBITDA losses for each
of the past three years. In 2019 the business said it was seeking additional
equity funding to support future expansion but Covid-19 now presents an
additional challenge.
Last
year's results showed a 12% decline in revenues to a tad over AUD60m
(US$37.5m), and an EBITDA-S loss of AUD3.6m, down from a AUD14.3m loss in the
corresponding period.
--
France's
LDC gives
update on business impact
LDC,
the French poultry and prepared-foods supplier, has issued an update to the
stock market on how Covid-19 has affected the business so far.
Alongside
the publication of its annual revenue for the year to 29 February, the
Paris-listed LDC said the "sharp slowdown" in the out-of-home market,
combined with "purchasing developments" in the supermarket and
hypermarket channels had led to "declining activity across the group, both
in France and abroad".
LDC
said it had sought to reallocate capacity usually used to supply the
foodservice market towards retail customers.
The
company said it had seen "increased business" in France's retail
sector, although demand had been "mixed", with sales of speciality
products such as duck and guinea fowl done. Sales of products meant for
individual consumption, such as ready meals and sandwiches, were also lower.
However,
sales of "traditional" products, such as chicken, as well as
convenience items like nuggets, had seen "a very good level of
activity", LDC said.
"Beyond
the resilience of its model and its market positions, the group also has a
solid financial situation, which allows it to be confident in its resilience,"
LDC said.
In
the year to 29 February, LDC generated revenue of EUR4.42bn, up 7.2% on 12
months earlier.
8
April
Health
out, comfort eating returns ... for now
The
shopping habits of consumers living under lockdown and concerned about the
coronavirus pandemic are leading to some healthy-eating trends "being
put on the back-burner", according to new research from GlobalData.
Nevertheless,
GlobalData expects consumer interest in health and wellness to return when the
coronavirus crisis eases, with government initiatives also helping to leading
to a rebound in demand for healthier fare.
--
2
Sisters factory staff return after walk-out
Production
at a 2 Sisters Food Group plant in the south west of England is back to normal
today (8 April) after a group of staff staged a walk-out yesterday over pay and
conditions.
Workers
on the morning shift at 2 Sisters' poultry-processing factory in Willand in
Devon did not report for work yesterday. The company said today all staff are
"back to work as normal".
"Yesterday
morning a small percentage of workers sought clarification from management on
pay arrangements and terms and conditions during the coronavirus crisis.
Following briefings they are now clear on the options available to them and
everyone is back to work as normal," a spokesperson for the site said.
Two
weeks ago, 2 Sisters said it was hiring
"several hundred" workers across its UK-based businesses –
poultry, bakery and meal solutions – to cope with an upsurge in demand from
coronavirus.
--
Maple
Leaf Foods' employees test positive
Maple Leaf
Foods, the Canada-based meat packer, said four employees have tested
positive for Covid-19 at two of its plants.
--
Coronavirus
- Cargill 'shuts US meat plant'
Over
the border, US agri-food business Cargill has reportedly closed a meat plant in
Pennsylvania temporarily due to coronavirus.
The
site in the city of Hazelton was closed on Tuesday (7 March) and will remain
shut until further notice, Reuters reported, citing a statement from
the Minnesota-based business.
just-food
has approached Cargill to confirm the closure and ascertain the reasons
behind the move.
--
As
the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage worldwide, on our analysis pages Lucy
Britner looks further ahead to suggest how the crisis could change consumer
behaviour.
"The
entire planet is in various stages of lockdown. This unprecedented time in our
history has effectively shut down swathes of the foodservice sector, closed
bars and pubs and sparked a jump in the use of grocery e-commerce, leading food
retailers worldwide to invest quickly (and heavily) in their online supply
chains.
"In
the week to 21 March, UK grocery retail sales jumped 45% as shoppers, concerned
about the infectious nature of Covid-19, flocked to stores and online to stock
up.
"Locked-down
consumers also sought solace online in other ways. Consumers of all ages have
also had to find new ways to communicate, with the download of online apps
booming. So, what does all this mean for the future?"
Read
in full: The consumer trends to look for beyond Covid-19
--
UK
retail giant Tesco reports annual results - and discusses Covid-19 impact
Some
coronavirus-related factlets coming from Tesco's announcements of its
full-year financial results this morning:
·
Tesco said it saw "significant panic-buying" in
the UK "in the first few weeks of the crisis", which the grocer
equated to a "circa 30% uplift in sales"
·
In the last two weeks, Tesco has recruited more than 45,000
staff
·
Tesco has "stepped up" capacity in online business
by more than 20% but adds: "There is simply not enough capacity to supply
the whole market."
·
The retailer estimated extra costs linked to the Covid-19
crisis in the 2020/21 financial year could be GBP650-925m (US$804-1.14bn)
The
retailer's presentation gave a snapshot of how Covid-19 had affected sales by
category.
--
Spain
eases restrictions on farm workers
Spain
has loosened regulations covering the hiring of temporary workers in the
country's agriculture sector.
--
Cloetta
in talks about temporary job cuts as Covid-19 bites
European
confectionery manufacturer Cloetta said it has started a dialogue with
employees over the prospect of temporary layoffs after it confirmed
pick-and-mix sales had been hit by lower demand as a result of disruption from
the coronavirus outbreak.
--
Real
Good Food expects "material impact" on sales as new fiscal year
starts
UK
baker Real
Good Food has reported an increase in annual revenues and profits but
the UK-based firm said it expects a "material impact" on sales from
Covid-19 in the first quarter of its new financial year.
--
Simply
Good Foods builds inventories as Covid-19 boosts e-commerce sales
After
The
Simply Good Foods Co., the US-based health snacks maker, reports its
latest financial results, Simon Harvey reports on how the company has ramped up
inventories and shifted the focus of its marketing spending as more consumers
shop online rather than in retail stores amid the coronavirus outbreak.
7
April
Nestle
facing production challenges - CEO
Mark
Schneider, the CEO of Nestlé, has admitted the world's largest food maker has
been unable to hit its "normal" production levels during the Covid-19
pandemic.
Speaking
to Bloomberg TV, Schneider said the KitKat and Maggi owner had faced
issues along the supply chain.
--
Kraft
Heinz makes about-turn on sales guidance amid "very strong" Covid-19
led demand
Kraft
Heinz has made an about-turn on its financial guidance for the year as the US
food giant expects "very strong consumer demand" linked to
coronavirus to drive positive growth in sales.
--
Understanding the impact of the Covid-19 crisis with
GlobalData
A
message from our publisher: at 3pm today UK (10:00 EST), two of GlobalData's
analysts are hosting a free webinar on how the coronavirus pandemic is
affecting the consumer-goods sector.
The
sessions will last approximately 30 minutes and cover the impact the crisis has
had on the world's major economies, with details on revisions to GDP
growth forecasts.
GlobalData
analysts Stuart Ravens and Katie Page will also discuss how governments
have responded to the outbreak, covering testing and clinical trial
delays.
They
will also set out specific implications for the consumer sector, including
updated forecasts, as well as outlining how companies have responded.
--
Tyson
Foods suspends pork production in Iowa after Covid-19 cases
In
the US, meat titan Tyson Foods has suspended operations at a pork plant in Iowa
after more than "two dozen" employees contracted coronavirus.
--
Kroger
outlines changes to promote 'social distancing'
Kroger
has become the latest major US grocer to announce plans to implement measures
to encourage social distancing in its stores.
The
retailer, which runs almost 2,800 stores in the US, is to cut the number of
customers that shop in its outlets at any one time by half.
"Kroger's
introduction of customer capacity limits is one more way we are doing our part
to flatten the curve while operating as an essential business, providing our
customers with access to fresh, affordable food and products," Mary Ellen
Adcock, Kroger's senior vice president of operations, said. "During this
national pandemic, we are committed to adopting preventive measures to help
protect the safety and health of our associates, customers and
communities."
Among
other measures, Kroger is encouraging its staff to wear protective masks and
gloves. The retailer is also trialling one-way aisles in certain stores in
order to "determine its effectiveness as a measure to further support
physical distancing".
--
Post
Holdings' Weetabix looking for staff to meet growing demand
Weetabix,
the UK breakfast-cereal business owned by US manufacturer Post Holdings,
is recruiting staff as it tries to adapt to the coronavirus outbreak.
--
Mars
puts up Covid-19 cash
Mars
has pledged US$20m "to better support the communities" in which the
US food giant operates.
The
Snickers and Wrigley owner has set out a series of measures, including $5m
donation to support the non-governmental organisation CARE in its work
supporting women, children and the refugees in the developing world.
Mars
is to make a $2m donation to the United Nations' World Food Programme and a
further $1m to Humane Society International (HSI) to help cats and dogs that have
been abandoned. The company is one of the largest pet-food and pet-care
businesses worldwide.
Grant
Reid, Mars' CEO, said: "We're announcing a commitment of $20m in cash and
in-kind product donations to support the hundreds of communities where we live
and work, or whom we depend upon for our agricultural ingredients. We're all in
this together and we want to do our part to help those most in need."
6
April
One
of our correspondents covering France, Sophie Kevany, has spoken to a clutch of
firms operating in the country about the impact the coronavirus outbreak has
had on business.
"For
several years now, we [the agri-food sector] have been regularly criticised and
vilified by animal activists or for our use of plant protection products. But
today, we are seen as saviours, almost as much as health workers, refilling
empty supermarket shelves. That's a remarkable change for us," Eureden
chairmen Serge Le Bartz and Georges Galardon told her.
--
Grupo
Calvo hires 50 additional staff
Grupo
Calvo, the canned seafood producer based in Spain, has hired an additional 50
workers to cope with the increased demand related to the coronavirus crisis.
--
Simply
Good Foods pulls guidance amid swings in demand
The
Simply Good Foods Co. has withdrawn its financial guidance after Covid-19
caused swings in retail demand for the US-based firm's assortment of nutrition
bars, salty snacks and confectionery.
Reporting
results for the second quarter, with sales up more than 83% to US$227m, the
company said today (6 April) it witnessed "volatile foot traffic" in
March, with the month beginning strongly but then tailing off in the latter
half.
--
Lancaster
Colony employee tests positive
One
of US food group Lancaster Colony's employees has tested positive for Covid-19
and is now in self-isolation at home.
The
Ohio-based firm said the member of staff had reported the illness last week and
was not at work at the time. The employee is now under quarantine for 14 days
on full pay.
--
Confidence
among UK consumer has tumbled towards levels last seen in the 2008 financial
crisis.
Researchers
at GfK have reported UK consumer confidence stood at a score of minus 34 at the
end of March, down from minus 7 in February.
In
mid-March, before the UK announced its own so-called lockdown measures,
consumer confidence in the country stood at minus 9, as per the GfK figures.
Analysts
at UK stockbrokers Shore Capital said this morning: "Each week that goes
by of lockdown, turns the pressure on the British economy another notch. The
Chancellor has been brave, nay heroic, in his efforts to support wages and
liquidity of some businesses.
"Whilst
so, it is also evident that the administrators are becoming busier and busier.
As such, many folks are, understandably feeling more worried about what emerges
on the other side of coronavirus. These worries are most clearly manifested in
the GfK consumer confidence data, data that brings home some of the economic
reality of this crisis."
--
Canadian
pork giant Olymel hits out at "untrue" allegations
Olymel,
the Canadian pork processor, is the latest food company to move to rebut
allegations about its business during the crisis.
In
a statement on Friday (3 April), the company hit out at the "untruthful
and irresponsible information" circulated on social networks that day
alleging "to the effect that products from its pork processing
facility in Yamachiche could transmit the Covid-19 virus".
Olymel
announced last week it had temporarily
closed the plant in Quebec due to a number of Covid-19 cases among employees.
Olymel's
statement on Friday pointed to official guidance from international experts
about the lack of a link between food and Covid-19.
"All
Olymel food processing facilities are under the jurisdiction and constant
supervision of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The CFIA and public
health officials who are monitoring the disease closely make the same
observation and have not found any example of transmission of COVID-19 in a
food. This information is also based on scientific research from the European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which claims to have found no evidence that food
is a source or a route of transmission," it said.
"In
addition to the hygiene, food safety and quality control measures applied in
normal times in Olymel facilities, the company has deployed numerous measures
to counter the spread of the coronavirus since the beginning of March. The
company invites its employees to strictly follow these measures and has even
applied a protocol developed by public health services for all of its
establishments, including that of Yamachiche."
3
April
Sanderson
Farms cuts output estimate as Covid-19 wrecks havoc on foodservice
Sanderson
Farms, the US-based poultry major that has had 15 positive Covid-19 cases, has
lowered its production estimate for the year as the virus wrecks havoc on its
mainstay foodservice business.
--
Germany
loosens restrictions on foreign agricultural workers
Germany
has eased its Covid-19 restrictions on foreign workers to help its agriculture
industry.
--
ABF
management take cut in pay
Associated
British Foods, which owns bread maker Allied bakeries and Primark
clothing stores, said its chief executive and finance chief will take a cut in
salaries to help in the battle against coronavirus.
CEO
George Weston and finance director John Bason requested a temporary 50%
reduction in pay, which has been approved by the board. In addition, bonuses
due to executive directors will not be paid, while Paul Marchant, the CEO of
Primark, has also requested his base pay be cut temporarily by
50%.
The
non-executive directors of the ABF board, including chairman Michael McLintock,
have decided their fees should be reduced temporarily by 25%.
"The
board, including the executive management team, believes that these steps are
appropriate given its expectation that full-year earnings will now be much
lower than envisaged at the start of the financial year," ABF said in a
statement. "The board is acutely aware that many Primark employees will
see their livelihoods affected by Covid-19."
--
Gluten-free
major Dr. Schär has decided to give production workers a 15%
bonus for each hour worked during the crisis.
"As
a family business, we take it for granted to support our employees in these
critical times," Dr. Schär CFO Brigitte
Kurz said. "For our employees, simply taking all the necessary safety
precautions to master this challenge did not seem sufficient to us."
Coronavirus
- Agropur cuts staff levels
Canadian
dairy cooperative Agropur
is putting some non-essential workers on temporarily leave and eliminating
other positions as a result of coronavirus.
--
2
April
Covid-19
- India's food industry hit by production, supply disruption
As
Raghvendra Verma, our correspondent in New Delhi reports, India's packaged food
industry has been hit hard by the country's 21-day national lockdown, with most
factories closed and their supply chains disrupted, leading to distribution
effectively being suspended nationwide.
--
PepsiCo
to donate US$45m to coronavirus fight
US
food and beverages giant PepsiCo is putting up US$45m to help fight the global
battle against coronavirus, including buying protective gear for frontline
workers.
--
Our
contributing editor Ben Cooper has spoken to Tim
Rycroft, COO of UK industry body Food and Drink Federation, to
hear his reflections on how the sector has coped with coronavirus thus
far. (FREE TO READ).
--
European
dairy body calls for EU help against impact of Covid-19
The
European Dairy Association (EDA) has asked the European Commission (EC) to help
to protect the sector against the impact of coronavirus.
--
Bakkavor
suspends financial guidance amid coronavirus uncertainty
Bakkavor,
which warned in February the UK food business was seeing a "significant
impact" from coronavirus, is now pulling financial guidance and suspending
its annual dividend payment.
--
BRF
to hire thousands to maintain production during Covid-19
Brazilian
meat giant BRF has announced that it is hiring more than 2,000 people to
maintain production and supply during the coronavirus outbreak.
--
US
food group General Mills has announced measures to help it
deal with Covid-19, including asking office staff to help out on production
lines.
It
has also announced enhanced benefits for plant employees, including a daily
bonus, and said it will contribute US$5m in charitable grants to support food
access in its key global markets and support for "our manufacturing
communities" around the world.
CEO
Jeff Harmening said: "Our most important objectives are the continued
health and safety of our employees and our ongoing ability to serve our
consumers around the world. We see it as imperative that we help ensure a
steady and reliable food supply for people and pets."
1
April
The
UK's Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has linked up with job
recruitment app Syft to support members during the Covid-19 crisis.
The
trade body said the partnership will offer a "lifeline" by helping to
fill vacancies across the food and drink supply chain.
Syft
will work with the FDF's food and drink members to help them access a database
of more than 33,000 workers to fill essential jobs.
FDF's
chief operating officer Tim Rycroft said: "The FDF wanted to provide a
solution for those who may be struggling to find work from other sectors and
move them into food and drink where possible and Syft provides this
opportunity. We hope this is the first of similar collaborations so sectors can
share expertise and resources while the country navigates its way through this
difficult time."
--
Covid-19
- Lamb Weston latest food company to pull guidance
Lamb
Weston Holdings, the US potato products manufacturer, has become the latest
company to pull its annual guidance amid the Covid-19 crisis.
--
From
yesterday's first-quarter results conference call from US giant McCormick &
Co., Simon Harvey reports on how the French's mustard and Schwartz
herbs owner is trying to adapt to the crisis.
McCormick
predicts another difficult quarter but D2C sales cushion Covid-19 impact
--
31 March
Bakkavor
under fire over sick pay, social distancing
UK
private-label food firm Bakkavor is facing criticism over its business
practices during the coronavirus crisis.
--
Conagra
Brands expects to exceed guidance spurred by Covid-19-led retail gains
While
many packaged food companies are withdrawing financial guidance because of the
uncertainties related to coronavirus, US food major Conagra Brands expects to
exceed its previously announced outlook.
--
McCormick
withdraws financial guidance as Covid-19 weighs on sales
McCormick
& Co. has withdrawn its full-year financial guidance as the US-based spices
and sauces maker said first-quarter sales were pressured by the coronavirus
outbreak.
The
French's mustard and Schwartz herbs owner said the negative impact on
sales from Covid-19 in the three months ended 29 February amounted to 3%, but
added the company is "well-positioned" to deal with the crisis due to
its "stable cash generation and access to liquidity".
--
UK
grocery spending jumped 28% amid Covid-19 rush - Kantar
Consumers
in the UK increased their grocery shop over a four-week period as the
coronavirus crisis caused more people to eat at home as restaurants and
entertainment outlets closed to contain its spread.
Data
from Kantar for the fours weeks to 22 March, the day before Prime Minister
Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown, showed the average UK household
spent an extra GBP62.92 (US$77.73) on food shopping during the period. The rise
in spending was more pronounced in London, where it climbed 26%.
--
South
Africa's Astral Foods has hit out at "fake" Covid-19 claims.
The poultry producer Astral Foods has slammed a "fake report",
circulated on social media and depicted as a "television news type
screenshot", that said some of its employees had tested positive for
coronavirus - and that the country's health minister has ordered the shutdown
of one of the company's production facilities.
Astral
insisted the report was "false", reporting the claims to a government
platform, fakenewsalert@dtps.gov.za.
"No
Astral employee has tested positive for the Coronavirus COVID-19, and Astral
condemns this fake news in the strongest possible terms. The company
would like to assure all its stakeholders including shareholders, consumers,
customers, suppliers and employees that this false news story is completely
unfounded," the company said in a statement.
--
Mars
to reopen Netherlands plant after Covid-19-related shutdown
Mars
will reopen a chocolate production plant in the Netherlands today (31 March)
shut down around a week ago due to the coronavirus outbreak.
--
Lindt
& Sprungli abandons 2020 financial targets in light of Covid-19
Swiss
chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli has said its 2020 financial targets
are "no longer valid" as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
--
Brazil's
JBS 'cuts beef production' at US plant
Brazilian
meat giant JBS reportedly plans to cut beef production at a facility in
Pennsylvania in the US for two weeks as a precautionary measure against the
deadly coronavirus.
--
Australia's
TasFoods pulls guidance, cuts wasabi operations
In
Australia, listed business TasFoods has withdrawn its financial guidance due to
the global uncertainties from the coronavirus outbreak and is having to reduce
wasabi production as foodservice sales decline.
--
Woolworths
Ltd, Australia's largest grocer, has announced plans to
"temporarily" change its policy on paying small suppliers.
At
present, small trade suppliers to Woolworths' supermarkets division are paid
within 14 days. Across the rest of the retailer's business, payment terms for
small suppliers do not exceed 30 days.
Woolworths
said today (31 March) its payment terms would be "aligned" across the
group and will not exceed 14 days.
Stephen
Harrison, Woolworths' CFO, said: "We recognise that right now many of our
small supplier partners are facing additional challenges in the current climate
and we want to do our bit to further help them out by shortening payment terms
across the group.
"By
paying our small suppliers faster, we hope to ease some of the financial
pressure many of them are currently experiencing amid the uncertainty caused by
the coronavirus pandemic."
30
March
Canadian
meat processor Olymel shuts Yamachiche plant amid Covid-19 cases
Olymel,
the pork and poultry processor that is part of Canada's Solio Cooperative
Group, has temporarily closed a plant in Quebec due to a number of Covid-19
cases among employees.
--
An
opinion piece from just-food news editor Simon Harvey in the wake of Greencore's trading
update (and the subsequent fall in its share price) this morning:
As
Greencore gets punished, is it time for UK stock market suspension, too?
--
Our
free-to-read round-up of the major political and economic updates related to
Covid-19 has just gone live and can
be found here.
--
UK
union calls for social distancing in food factories
The
UK and Ireland's largest trade union, Unite, has called for a mandatory
two-metre social distancing to be put in place for those working in the food
industry.
It
has urged George Eustice, the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra), to introduce the measure to protect those working on
production lines in processing plants during the coronavirus crisis.
Unite's
call comes after last
week's walkout by workers at meat processor Moy Park's site in Portadown,
Northern Ireland, over concerns about health and safety protections for the
workforce.
--
In
the spirit of offering what support we can during the crisis, our
publisher GlobalData has put together a free report to help you
understand the outbreak, its economic impact and implications for specific
sectors.
--
A
new working week and there have been a series of developments over the weekend
and on Monday.
UK
manufacturer Greencore suspends guidance, puts some workers on leave
Greencore is suspending financial guidance amid the uncertainty from
coronavirus as the Ireland-based business said it is seeing a "marked
reduction" at the retail level for its food-to-go categories.
The
London-listed convenience foods manufacturer said in an exchange filing today
(30 March) it is "tightening" its production network for food-to-go
products and putting associated workers on leave by means of the government's
job retention scheme recently announced to support businesses through the
crisis.
--
UK
charity Concordia, which recruits seasonal labour for the country's
agricultural industry, sounds a warning on the lack of workers available to
pick crops.
According
to UK newspaper The Observer, Concordia has highlighted the problems of
recruiting staff from countries that have closed borders to try to deal with
the coronavirus outbreak.
You can read the full story here.
--
2
Sisters CEO in video appeal for workers to "feed the nation"
2
Sisters Food Group has created a video featuring chief executive Ronald Kers appealing
for workers to fill "several hundred" roles as the UK-based poultry
and ready meals producer faces a surge in demand from the Covid-19 crisis.
Last
week, a spokesperson for the owner of Fox's Biscuits and Holland's Pies said
the company had launched a recruitment drive across its business for
"several hundred" roles.
--
Vitasoy
blames Covid-19 for profit warning
Vitasoy
International Holdings, the Hong Kong-listed, plant-based food and beverage
business, has issued a profit warning. It said its sales have been hit by the
enforcement of measures linked to Covid-19 and social unrest in the territory.
The
firm, which makes products such as soya milk and tofu under its own name, told
the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) in a statement it expects to record a
"substantial decrease" in profit attributable to shareholders for the
year ending 31 March.
--
M.
Dias Branco sets up Covid-19 crisis committee
Brazilian
pasta and biscuits maker M. Dias
Branco has revealed it has established a crisis committee to help it
steer a path through the coronavirus crisis.
--
Canadian
meatpacker Harmony Beef halted slaughter on Friday (27 March)
due to a positive Covid-19 test from one of its workers, it has been
revealed.
News
agency Reuters reports that its Balzac, Alberta packing plant was
closed after the company was informed by Alberta's health department that a
worker who had not been on the job for days had tested positive, The company
then sent the other workers in his part of the slaughter area home for 14 days,
even though they did not display symptoms. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) has kept some inspectors from work, due to the Harmony worker's positive
result.
CFIA
said it did not provide inspection services on Friday as a result.
Federally-regulated slaughter plants are not allowed to operate without
inspectors present.
Harmony
was hoping to fully re-open today pending talks with CFIA.
--
Unsurprisingly,
more trade shows have announced their cancellation or postponement.
This
year's Natural & Organic Products Europe, which takes
place annually in London, has been cancelled.
The
organiser has said the next edition will be on 18 and 19 April 2021 at the
city's ExCel centre, which is being converted by the UK government into an
emergency field hospital.
Meanwhile,
the organisers of the Free From Functional & Health Ingredients and
Free From Packaging events, which were to take place at the RAI
Amsterdam from 24 to 25 June, will be postponed to 24-25 November.
27
March
Our
free-to-read round-up of the major political and economic updates related to
Covid-19 has just gone live and can
be found here.
--
Dairy
major Saputo eyes post-coronavirus M&A
Saputo,
the international dairy group, believes there will be more opportunity for
acquisitions in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
--
Nomad
Foods sees Covid-19 sales boost in Italy
Nomad
Foods, the UK-based frozen-food specialist which owns the Findus
and Iglo brands, has seen its market share increase in Italy as a result
of the coronavirus outbreak.
--
French
dairy giant Danone, has said it is "taking
radical measures" to strengthen the resilience of its teams and value
chain.
CEO
Emmanuel Faber announced on social media a financial support package of EUR250m
(US$275.1m) for the 15,000 small businesses in its "global
ecosystem" (farmers, suppliers, service providers).
Faber
said all employment contracts are secured and wages guaranteed for the 100,000
Danone employees worldwide until 30 June and that there is "extensive
coverage" (health, childcare, quarantine) for all employees worldwide.
He
added that there would be a specific bonus for all employees working on site
during the pandemic.
Coronavirus
stops UK baker Finsbury's earnings guidance
Finsbury
Food Group, the UK bakery-products supplier, today (27 March) warned the
coronavirus outbreak meant it could not provide investors with guidance on the
company's earnings.
--
Covid-19
- Nestle staff to get three months pay
Nestlé,
the world's largest food company, has set out what it will pay staff affected
by "temporary stoppages" caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
--
Orkla has
announced it will provide a "preliminary sales update" for the first
quarter of 2020 on 17 April "in light of the Covid-19 situation".
The
company's full first-quarter results will be announced on 5 May.
--
PepsiCo
has re-opened a temporarily closed Frito-Lay plant in the US. The food and
beverages giant had shut its Frito-Lay snacks plant in Modesto, California,
after a number of employees showed signs of coronavirus systems but it has now
reopened.
The
company said it took precautionary steps to identify and notify
individuals who had worked closely with the affected employees who went into
self-quarantine for the required 14 days on full pay, according to a
statement.
After
conducting "deep cleaning" of the site it reopened on the 25 March
and all staff that could not go into work during the closure will also receive
full pay. A spokesperson for PepsiCo would not reveal the length of time the
plant was closed for.
--
European
dairy giant Arla Foods has issued a Covid-19-related message
to its farmer-owners and the wider market.
Peter
Tuborgh, CEO of the Denmark-based cooperative said: "I have been in the
dairy sector throughout my working life and have experienced quite a few
crises. But this one is absolutely unparalleled."
He
said the business has two main priorities during this crisis.
"The
first is to protect the health and welfare of our employees - ie. both the
employees at Arla's farms and colleagues who work at our dairies, in the
distribution and in our offices. We follow the guidance of national health
authorities and governments and have taken the necessary measures to protect
our employees," he said.
"The
second is to keep our production going - to secure our supply chain so that we
continue to collect milk from all our farmers and maintain a steady flow of
dairy products to customers and consumers."
Tuborgh
said the company is prioritising the supply of the products that are most
important to people at this time.
"As
the virus peaks around the various countries and regions, we expect our system
to be further burdened. We constantly monitor and manage potential risks, have
solid action plans in place and are confident that our core activities will
continue to be stable," he said.
--
Netherlands-based
Vion Food Group has said in its outlook for the rest of this
year that coronavirus is creating "major uncertainties" in the
foodservice part of its business.
The
group, best known for its meat products but which has recently moved into the
plant-based arena, said in a market update that the outbreak has created a
major change in consumption patterns as people are no longer eating out but are
eating at home.
"The
sale of meat to restaurants and hotels has come to a standstill, while
deliveries to supermarkets have significantly increased. The turnover of
convenience meat products, such as minced meat, is increasing in comparison to
more luxurious products," it said.
"These
shifts have a major impact on the valorisation of meat, causing the
relationship between purchase and selling prices to shift as well."
Vion
said it is doing everything in its power to responsibly continue production and
is "working in close cooperation with governments in the Netherlands and
Germany to keep the supply of food up to par during this crisis".
26 March
Across
our portfolio of publications, today we've kicked off a round-up of the key,
global, political developments in response to the outbreak.
The
daily digest also includes need-to-know commentary from international political
and economic institutions.
And,
importantly, it's free-to-read.
Covid-19
crisis briefing - key daily updates from governments and commentators, 26 March
--
Moy
Park sees staff walk out over Covid-19 safety fears
UK
meat processor Moy Park has seen workers at one of its plants stage a walkout
over Covid-19 safety fears.
The
Northern Ireland-based company, owned by US poultry giant Pilgrim's Pride, said
100 workers downed tools to stage a 15-minute walkout at its Seagoe, Portadown,
plant yesterday (25 March), although trade union Unite claimed the figure was
closer to 1,000.
Muller
in UK and Ireland recruitment drive
Müller,
the German dairy giant, is looking to take on an additional 300 employees in
the UK and Ireland to cope with extra demand during the Covid-19 outbreak.
--
2
Sisters taking on "several hundred" workers to meet demand
2
Sisters Food Group is hiring "several hundred" workers across its
UK-based businesses – poultry, bakery and meal solutions – to cope with the
upsurge in demand from coronavirus.
--
Brazilian
meat giant JBS has said it does not see any
major impact from having to switch business from foodservice to retail.
Responding
to analysts' questions in a post-2019 results conference call, the company -
which revealed that 10% of its global business is in the foodservice
channel - said the drop off in foodservice business as a result of the Covid-19
outbreak will have no impact on margins "as long as total consumption does
not change".
It
added: "In Brazil, for example, where we make hamburgers for the
chains, when they reduce the volumes we can transfer that easily to
retail."
--
Nestlé
has joined forces with charities the International Federation of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in a response to Covid-19.
In
a statement, the Switzerland-based food giant said: "We care deeply for
people and for the communities in which we operate, and we have an essential
role to play during the Covid-19 crisis. Food and beverages help keep people
healthy and enhance their quality of life. We care about our responsibility to
provide good nutrition, especially for the most vulnerable in society -
children, the elderly and those struggling with illness."
Nestlé
also said it is "working tirelessly" to ensure that supply is
maintained. It said it has implemented enhanced safety measures at all
its sites, with particular focus on frontline workers in its
factories, quality labs and distribution centres.
"Also,
where needed, we are offering free meals and transport for staff to help reduce
the risk they fall ill. In addition, we have put in place generous sick leave
arrangements for those who contract the virus and will provide cash loans or
advances for those in financial distress," it said.
25
March
This
afternoon, we ran a piece featuring four SMEs operating in the UK asking what
impacts they have felt from the outbreak so far and how they are trying to
adapt.
You
can read the piece - for free - below:
--
Analyst
predicts 20% food-at-home sales surge in US
Investment
research company Sanford Bernstein has reported that US-centric food companies
are experiencing a "major surge in demand" as panic buying has led to
surging sales growth across the country.
Hilton
Food Group results delayed but all facilities remain open
UK-based
Hilton
Food Group has announced a delay in the publication of its annual
results as a result of coronavirus but said all its facilities remain open
despite the crisis. Hilton is the first UK food group to delay the release
of its results since the regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority
(FCA), wrote to companies intending to publish preliminary financial statements
in the next few days asking them to delay their planned
publication because of Covid-19-linked uncertainty.
--
Keytone
sees increased demand for milk powder products
Keytone
Dairy said it is experiencing a surge in demand for its milk powder products
both from its branded customer base and also private-label clients in the New
Zealand-based firm's domestic and international markets.
--
London-based
baby food and infant formula firm Piccolo has opened an online
'shop' to help parents who are struggling to buy baby and
toddler nutrition products from their usual retail outlets because of
Covid-19-linked pressure on supplies. The company's products can now be ordered
directly from its website.
--
Australia's
Beston
Global Food Co. said it is continuing to experience solid
demand for its products notwithstanding some down-turn in activity in
foodservice outlets across the country in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It
said retail demand is strong for mozzarella cheese and for meat products
produced by its Provincial Food Group in particular, through supermarkets and
home delivery services.
The
company recorded revenues of AUD51.2m (US$30.9m) in the first half of this
2019-20 financial year and expects revenues in H2 to be "at least of the
same order, pending any unforeseen consequences from the current
pandemic".
--
Foodservice
distributor US Foods has announced it is reducing costs
because of the impact the Covid-19 outbreak has had on the channel.
CEO
Pietro Satriano said: "While the full business impact of Covid-19 is not
yet known, we are taking immediate action to reduce our costs to match the
slowdown we're seeing in restaurant, hospitality and education case volume. We
are also leveraging our supply chain resources to support the retail industry
as they experience unprecedented increases in consumer demand."
US
Foods said it believes its strong balance sheet will enable it to weather the
economic impact of Covid-19. It has drawn US$1bn under its existing
revolving credit facilities to retain as cash on hand.
24
March
Unilever
makes Covid-19 pledge to SME suppliers
Anglo-Dutch
consumer goods giant Unilever has pledged to help customers and suppliers that
are struggling because of the Covid-19 outbreak. In an announcement today, the
Marmite and Ben & Jerry's ice cream maker said it will offer EUR500m
(US$541.5m) of cash flow relief to "support livelihoods across its
extended value chain".
--
Aryzta
envisages "material impact" as conditions deteriorate
Some
less-than-good news from Aryzta this morning, with the bakery giant saying it
now expects a "material impact" on its business this year from
coronavirus as market conditions and "prospects" have worsened over
the past week or more.
--
UK
food industry SMEs "in crisis" following retailer de-listings
A
survey of UK-based food industry SMEs found they are increasingly pivoting to
e-commerce as retailers de-prioritise their products to concentrate on core
offerings during the Covid-19 crisis.
London-based
consultancy Young Foodies questioned senior brand representatives from 45
small- and medium-sized food businesses and found SMEs are dealing with major
challenges to their businesses and livelihoods and are concerned they might be
faced with a "war-time grocery market" within weeks.
--
Only
minority of UK shoppers stockpiling - Kantar
A
survey looking at retail shopping habits in the UK during the coronavirus
crisis revealed extra demand in supermarkets is largely being driven by people
adding a few additional items to their baskets and making more trips
rather than shoppers buying the same item in bulk.
--
Mondelez
looking to boost employee numbers to meet Covid-19 demand
US
food giant Mondelez International said it expects to hire 1,000 additional
"frontline" employees in its domestic market.
--
Sanderson
Farms instigates further safety measures after employee tests positive for
virus
US
chicken business Sanderson
Farms has initiated precautionary measures after one of its employees
tested positive for coronavirus.
--
Tulip,
the UK pork processor owned by US meat major Pilgrim's Pride, is preparing to
create temporary job opportunities.
Openings will
be available in production roles and "other key roles to provide
cover when necessary", Tulip said.
Rachel
Baldwin, the company's vice president for human resources, said: "Tulip is
looking to ensure we have enough people in place to keep our manufacturing
sites operating as and when people take time out of work to care for themselves
and their loved ones. This is an unprecedented time for the UK food industry
and we'd like to thank all of our colleagues and staff across the sector who
are doing an incredible job to keep up with the current high demand and keeping
shelves stocked across the UK."
23
March
FoodDrinkEurope
calls on Brussels to relieve Covid-19 supply chain pressure
Trade
body FoodDrinkEurope is asking the European Commission to intervene to relieve
supply chain pressure during the coronavirus epidemic.
The
body, which represents food and beverage companies operating in Europe, said it
has identified
five pressure points putting a particular strain on the food supply
chain.
FoodDrinkEurope
director general Mella Frewen said: "If we act on these five areas now, we
believe we can avoid serious disruptions to food and drink supplies to
consumers and safeguard our jobs and businesses."
--
The
UK's competition regulator has announced plans to set up a Covid-19
"taskforce" to monitor the market and clamp down on firms
"exploiting these exceptional circumstances".
"The
outbreak of Covid-19 is an unprecedented and rapidly evolving challenge that
has prompted many concerns that businesses might exploit the situation to take
advantage of people, for example by charging excessive prices or making
misleading claims about their products," the Competition and
Markets Authority (CMA) said.
"The
Covid-19 virus, and the measures taken to suppress its impact on public health,
are likely to have a substantial impact on competition, with the risk of an
increase in consumer detriment."
On
Friday, the CMA issued an open letter to the food, drink and pharma industries,
revealing it had "received reports that a minority of firms in your sector
are seeking to capitalise on the current situation by charging unjustifiably
high prices for
essential goods or making misleading claims around their efficacy".
The
CMA said: "We are sure that you share our concerns not just about the
unacceptability of such practices in the current circumstances, but also the
risk of undermining public trust more widely across these sectors. If
appropriate, the CMA has recourse to a range of competition and consumer powers
to tackle bad behaviour. It is therefore vital that any poor behaviour is
nipped in the bud now and we will use all of the powers available to us to
ensure that markets continue to work well during the coronavirus
outbreak."
--
The
Consumer Goods Forum, a network of 400 of the world's biggest
consumer goods companies including Nestle, Danone and Kellogg, has cancelled
its annual summit.
The
four-day event was due to take place from 16 to 19 June in London.
"It
is not a decision we have taken lightly but, given the pandemic that is
impacting our industry and the people we care most about, we felt it is the
right thing to do," The Consumer Goods Forum said in a statement.
"We
would like to take this opportunity to stress that this is not going to stop us
bringing members together. The Global Summit may well be the flagship event for
our industry, bringing together over 1,000 CEOs and c-suite executives, but we
firmly believe that the need for collaboration and knowledge sharing has never
been higher. We will, therefore, look at how we continue to bring members
together virtually and help ensure momentum around our key strategic
initiatives, as well as on mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on our supply
chains and stores."
--
PepsiCo
to hire more workers, offers compensatory pay benefits
PepsiCo
plans to take on 6,000 new workers over the "coming months" to meet
the extra retail demand from the Covid-19 outbreak as the food and beverages
giant announced compensation packages for its US-based employees.
The
packages will apply to more than 90,000 "frontline" staff at its
beverages and food divisions across North America and "consists of a
minimum of an incremental US$100 per week for full-time employees over the next
month". The additional full-time workers will be offered full company
benefits, PepsiCo said in a statement.
--
US
foodservice supplier Sysco turns focus onto retail
Sysco,
the US foodservice distribution giant, has turned its attention to the retail
grocery market as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
As
so many foodservice outlets have been forced to close as a result of the
outbreak, Sysco
has been forced to look again at its business model.
--
Candy
giant Cloetta withdraws dividend amid Covid-19 pressure
Cloetta,
the European confectionery supplier, has pulled plans to issue a dividend to
shareholders, warning the risk of a "negative financial impact" on
the business "from the end of March has increased significantly".
The
company added: "Given the current uncertainty due to the global outbreak
of Covid-19 and potential governmental response, it is not at this point
possible to predict the full potential impact on our business. However, with
the rapid spread of the coronavirus now heavily impacting markets where Cloetta
has a presence and the currencies the group is exposed to, we believe that the
risk of adverse effects has increased significantly."
--
Meanwhile, food
major 2 Sisters Food Group has announced it has job vacancies
across its processing sites in the country.
In
a series of tweets issued on Friday (20 March) and this morning, 2 Sisters said
it had either temporary or permanent (or both) openings at eight plants.
--
Ireland's
farmers have described the decision by McDonald's
to close its outlets in the country and in the UK as a "big blow" to
the Irish beef sector.
"McDonald's
is an important buyer of Irish beef. Their closure is a big blow to the
sector," a statement from The Irish Farmers' Association read.
"Unfortunately,
it is reflective of what is happening across Europe where closures have had an
impact on the food service sector. However, some of this has been mitigated by
an increase in retail demand."
A
number of major retail and foodservice names have, in the last couple of days,
announced plans to temporarily close, including UK coffee-shop chain Costa.
Paul
Pomroy, the CEO of the McDonald's business in the UK and Ireland, said
yesterday: "Over the last 24 hours, it has become clear that maintaining
safe social distancing whilst operating busy takeaway and Drive Thru
restaurants is increasingly difficult and therefore we have taken the decision
to close every restaurant in the UK and Ireland by 7pm on Monday 23rd March.
"We
have not taken this decision lightly and know that our restaurants have been
playing an important role in the community providing hundreds of thousands of
free drinks to frontline health and social workers and emergency services
personnel.
"But
I have been clear throughout this that we would only continue to operate whilst
it was safe for our people and together with our franchisees, we feel now is
the time to make this decision to temporarily close."
--
Dairy
giant Fonterra is among a growing
number of food and beverage companies using their production for the
manufacture of hand sanitisers.
The New Zealand dairy giant said it is increasing its production capacity for
making ethanol.
--
J&J
Snack Foods issues new warning on sales
J&J
Snack Foods has warned the impact on its sales from coronavirus could be twice
as severe as earlier estimated as more and more foodservice outlets in the US
close temporarily to curb its spread.
Nasdaq-listed
J&J Snack Foods is now warning two-thirds of its sales to restaurants,
schools, stadiums and arenas, movie theatres and amusement parks could be
affected based on annual revenues of $1.2bn, compared to a previous estimate of
one third, as more venues close their doors.
--
Comvita
postpones capital raise but points to Covid-19 sales boost
New
Zealand-based Manuka honey maker Comvita has put capital raising plans on the
back burner as demand for its products has noticeably increased in recent
weeks.
The company suggested products "considered to support general
immunity" are in greater demand because of the coronavirus outbreak.
20
March
US
plant-based supplier Califia Farms sees boost from Covid-19
In
an interview with just-food, Greg Steltenpohl, the CEO of US
dairy-alternatives business Califia Farms, set out the impact the outbreak is
having on the company.
"The
mechanics of the business demand for the particular category we're in is really
unprecedented," Steltenpohl said, reflecting on the US market for
plant-based milks. "We have never seen logistically anything like this
before in terms of the need to ramp up production. Our largest distributor
asked for four times the usual orders this last week for our top-selling
plant-milk SKUs."
And
Steltenpohl believes Califia Farms
- which secured US$225m in investor funding in January - and the wider
plant-based market could see longer-term gains from the crisis.
"Once
things normalise here, our product will probably be even more in demand. I
mean, as people have pondered the origin and vectors of not just Covid-19, but
the whole series of these types of viruses, they're coming to understand the
animal-base vectors or origin points, so it's given people a lot more awareness
of their own personal health," he claimed.
You
can read the full interview with Steltenpohl here.
--
Kellogg
ramping up cereal production in the UK
US
cereal giant Kellogg is the latest food major to announce a recruitment drive
in the UK in an attempt to keep up with increased demand linked to the Covid-19
epidemic.
UK
food start-ups network and consultancy Young Foodies
has criticised a decision by some supermarkets to de-list the products of small
brands to concentrate on core product offerings during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Theadora
Alexander, co-founder of the organisation, which represents more than a
thousand food and drink SMEs, said: "Principally, we understand the move
and we are not expecting business as usual by any stretch, but if Morrisons
is going to be taking small suppliers off the shelf and putting them at such
severe business risk, it should be up to the retailer to provide them with the
income continuity. They will be making their sales elsewhere so they will be
able to. We cannot have a black and white case of winners and losers.
"We
believe that that is the responsibility of the retailer, as per GSCOP
[Groceries Supply Code of Practice], to offset any losses as a variation from
trade. It's then up to the retailer to decide whether they need additional
support from the government on this matter.
"For
now though, there has to be a near-term plug gap on the brands' side to protect
them."
just-food
archive: Young Foodies interview - the challenges facing challenger brands
--
UK
chilled pastry product firm Addo Food Group has announced
a recruitment drive. It is seeking temporary employees across its six
sites to meet increase demand as a result of Covid-19.
The
company, behind the Wall's and Pork Farms brands, is offering roles to
people with all levels of experience within its Spalding, Nottingham, Market
Drayton, Shaftesbury and Poole factories.
CEO
Deborah Bolton said: "Coronavirus has impacted so many businesses within
the hospitality industry already and as workers are being laid off all over the
country from restaurants, pubs and bars, we're pleased to be able to offer
temporary positions within our six sites, which may help ease the financial
pressure that a lot of people now find themselves in. It's a really difficult
time for people and it's important that we help where we can."
The
company manufactures savoury quiches, pies, pasties, slices, scotch eggs,
sausage rolls and pork pies.
--
UK
grocer competition rules relaxed
The
UK government is temporarily relaxing competition regulations to allow the
country's major grocers to work more closely during the Covid-19 outbreak.
--
UK
meat business Moy Park seeking hundreds of new workers to help it meet demand
Moy
Park, the UK meat processor owned by US poultry giant Pilgrim's Pride, is
seeking "hundreds" of temporary workers to help it meet additional
demand resulting from the coronavirus outbreak.
German
meal-kit firm HelloFresh is said to be taking on up to 400
temporary staff at its UK distribution centre in Oxfordshire to meet
increased demand as a result of coronavirus.
Local
newspaper reports said the company, which delivers fresh, pre-portioned
ingredients for customers to cook from scratch at home, is experiencing strong
growth in its business.
19
March
Covid-19 could
have profound implications for UK food system - Shore Capital
One
of the UK's well-known food industry analysts has said the Covid-19
outbreak could have a profound impact on the country's food system as
demand shifts from foodservice to grocery retail.
--
UK
industry body warns of meat supply issues
The
British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has warned that increased demand for
meat as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to supply issues.
--
US
regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has said it plans to focus on the safety of regulated products during the
current crisis and is postponing its routine inspection of manufacturing
facilities.
"Now
more than ever, the American people are depending on us. We must ensure our
workforce remains healthy to carry out the FDA's critical public health mission
to keep Americans safe," it said.
"In
keeping with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and cross-government
guidance, this week we directed all eligible FDA employees to begin
teleworking. While this does not apply to those carrying out non-portable
activities, such as certain lab activities or the monitoring of imported
products, we will continue to adjust our approach to a number of activities,
including facility inspections for all FDA-regulated products such as food,
animal feed, drugs, biological products, devices and tobacco.
"Earlier
this month, we announced that we are postponing most foreign facility
inspections through April and that inspections outside the US deemed
mission-critical will be considered on a case-by-case basis as this outbreak
continues to unfold.
"Today,
we're announcing that for the health and well-being of our staff and those who
conduct inspections for the agency under contract at the state level, and
because of industry concerns about visitors, we have temporarily postponed all
domestic routine surveillance facility inspections."
--
UK
fresh food supplier Bidfresh is adding direct-to-consumer home
delivery services from its depots around the country in response to the
national measures introduced to address the coronavirus outbreak.
The
public will be able to order meat, fish and seafood, fruit and veg, dairy and a
range of other products. The free delivery service will operate in selected
postcodes around the depots and will run alongside Bidfresh's established
business with chef and caterers.
--
Bleak
outlook for Chinese dairy imports
China's
dairy imports are likely to decrease at a double-digit rate this year primarily
due to a drop off in demand as a result of Covid-19, according to Rabobank,
which predicts the virus and falling oil prices will trigger a global
recession.
--
European
food and agri-food bodies FoodDrinkEurope, Copa-Cogeca
and Celcaa have issued a joint statement
saying that food supplies are facing some disruption at the border.
The
organisations said their members are reporting increasing difficulties in their
business operations.
"Delays
and disruption at country borders have been observed for the delivery of
certain agricultural and manufactured products, as well as packaging materials.
There is also concern over the movement of workers, notably due to certain
border closures and travel restrictions, as well as potential labour shortages
as staff follow national movement restrictions to mitigate the crisis,"
the statement said.
--
Synlait
experiencing Covid-19 supply chain issues
Synlait,
the New Zealand-based dairy and infant-formula manufacturer, said it is
experiencing "pressure on the broader supply chain" as a result of
the Covid-19 outbreak.
--
Finland's
Fazer announces temporary lay-offs
Finland-based
food manufacturer Fazer has started negotiations with some staff over temporary
lay-offs as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
--
Fellow
Finnish food group Raisio
has cancelled its annual general meeting that was due to take place on 24
March, "based on the announcement by the Finnish government on the
coronavirus situation", A new date for the AGM has not yet been set.
--
UK
online grocer Ocado has suspended its
online food delivery service, blaming higher demand than it can meet.
Ocado
said that while existing customers with orders would still receive
them, it was experiencing a "simply staggering amount of
traffic" to its website and more demand for products and deliveries than
it could deal with.
18
March
Tesco
CEO Dave Lewis said we find ourselves in "uncharted
waters".
In
a statement, the UK's largest supermarket's boss said: "Covid-19 is
bringing a change to the UK and it's clear that lots of things are going to
have to shift around in order to help us cope.
"At Tesco, we have been doing everything we can to keep business as usual,
but we now have to accept it is not business as usual. In the last two weeks,
we have seen significant and prolonged increases in demand across all of our
stores and this is leading to shortages in some products for some customers.
"Reacting to the latest government announcements, we have to plan on this
situation being the new normal and we will do all that we can to make the food
you want available, but we need your help."
He
outlined changes including a store-wide restriction of only three items
per customer on every product line, night time closures to allow for
re-stocking, elderly and vulnerable only shopping slots and removing
multi-buy promotions.
All
meat, fish, deli counters and salad bars are to be closed to allow staff to be
moved into other parts of the retail operation.
--
General
Mills' ice cream sales in Asia hit by Covid-19
General
Mills said its Asian sales for the third quarter were impacted by the Covid-19
outbreak after the US food major hinted last month that revenues from its
Häagen-Dazs ice-cream shops in China would be disrupted.
--
Analyst
Sanford Bernstein is "tactically
upgrading" a number of US food firms because of coronavirus-related sales.
Conagra
Foods, Campbell Soup Co., General Mills, Kraft Heinz and JM Smucker have been
moved from underperform to market-perform by the firm which is expecting a
coronavirus-related sales lift and broader economic uncertainties to support
stock valuations in the near term.
"On
near-term coronavirus implications, based on the latest weekly Nielsen data
(week ending 7 March), canned soup, pasta, peanut butter, RTE cereal, and
granola bars are among the categories that experienced the most significant
incremental sales growth (~10-20%) due to coronavirus-related pantry
loading," it said.
--
Science
in Sport sees revenues slide in Italy as a result of epidemic
Science
in Sport, the UK-based nutrition products manufacturer, said it has experienced
a sharp reduction in revenues in Italy as a result of the coronavirus
contagion, which has prompted that government to put the country into
lockdown.
--
Hormel
Foods outlines action taken to combat Covid-19
US-based
Hormel Foods has reported that it has taken "prudent action" to
protect its business from the spread of coronavirus.
--
Greencore
says too early to judge impact of Covid-19 on its results
Ireland-based
private-label food manufacturer Greencore has said its supply chain
and production network remains "fully operational" despite the
coronavirus outbreak but the impact on its results remains uncertain.
--
Bubs
Australia boosts capacity to meet increased demand
Bubs
Australia said it has boosted production capacity and increased shift rotas
to meet a rise in demand for infant formula as a result of the coronavirus
outbreak and is also building inventories to cater to any further
"surges" in orders.
--
UK
supermarkets have announced further measures to help deal with
the coronavirus threat and to prevent customer stockpiling.
Tesco,
the country's largest grocer, is to close its 24-hour stores overnight to allow
for re-stocking while Sainsbury's
is the latest retailer to put a limit on the number of purchases of certain
items. Morrisons has said it will take on an extra 3,500 staff
to increase its home delivery capability and reiterated its intention to pay
small suppliers immediately. A number of retailers have introduced special
shopping hours for the elderly to ensure they can get the groceries they need.
--
17
March
Sanderson
Farms introduces strict guidelines for employees
US
chicken giant Sanderson Farms has taken robust measures in response to the
coronavirus pandemic. They include prohibiting employees and members of their
households from travelling for personal reasons outside the US.
--
Supermarkets
in the UK, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Aldi have put
rationing restrictions on certain items sold in store over the growing pandemic
of coronavirus.
--
European
fruit, veg association working to ensure supplies
Freshfel
Europe, the Brussels-based association representing fresh fruit and vegetables
producers, said it is working with its members to ensure supplies amid the
coronavirus pandemic, which has seen some countries close restaurants and other
outlets to curb its spread.
--
Organic
food business Midsona sees a surge in sales
Midsona has
increased production as the Sweden-based organic food business has
seen increased demand due to coronavirus, with sales of some items up 40%
in the first two weeks of March.
16
March
Food
business entrepreneur John Stapleton, who built up and sold brands New
Covent Garden Soup Co. and Little Dish,
outlines a number of steps SMEs can take to help them survive coronavirus.
Coronavirus
and food industry SMEs - a survival plan
--
Impossible
Foods targets coronavirus fight after raising multi-millions in funding round
Impossible
Foods, the US business which makes plant-based burgers and faux pork products,
has raised around US$500m in a new fundraising round. It said the funding will
help it to fight off the threat of coronavirus.
--
Murray
River Organics sees delays in shipping, orders
Murray
River Organics, the Australia-based dried fruit snacks producer, said it has
"experienced delays to shipping and orders" in February and March as
a result of the coronavirus outbreak but is unable to put a financial estimate
on the impact.
--
Food
industry employees asked to work from home as crisis worsens
Kraft
Heinz and Cloetta have both asked some employees to work from home in an
attempt to lessen the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on their
operations.
--
British
Meat Processors Association Rethink conference postponed
The
British Meat Processors Association has postponed a conference due to be held
in London tomorrow (17 March) because of "public health and safety
issues" related to the coronavirus outbreak.
--
13
March
J&J
Snack Foods warns of potential impact on sales
J&J
Snack Foods, the US food business serving retail and foodservice channels, has
warned its sales could be impacted by coronavirus as fewer consumers eat out.
--
Tesco
seeks to reassure customers on food supply pipeline
Tesco,
the UK's largest grocer, has sought to reassure consumers that its food supply
pipeline is robust despite reports of coronavirus-linked panic-buying.
--
Brazilian
meat processor BRF operating normally but protocols in place
Brazilian
meat processor BRF said its factories are operating normally but has put
protocols in place to tackle any eventualities emerging from the coronavirus
outbreak, which has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health
Organization.
--
Italian
food producers working flat out to ensure retail supplies but longer-term
risks remain
Supermarkets
in Italy will stay open through the coronavirus crisis, with a government
official saying the country's food manufacturers are working flat out to ensure
supplies.
--
12
March
Premium
Brands Holdings seeing impact on seafood sales to China
Premium
Brands Holdings, the acquisitive Canadian food firm with businesses stretching
across cured meats, meat snacks and seafood, said it is starting to see the
impact of coronavirus on sales.
--
11
March
Global
Berry Congress postponed as coronavirus spreads in Europe
The
Global Berry Congress, which brings together fruit producers from around the
world, has been postponed due to the spread of coronavirus in Europe.
--
Seafood
Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global shows postponed
Seafood
Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global has become the latest victim of the
coronavirus outbreak as organisers cancelled the event due to be held in
Brussels next month.
10
March
UK
government "confident" on food supplies
The
UK government has said it is confident that the UK's food supply will not be
interrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.
9
March
Bell
Food Group cancels AGM because of coronavirus
Switzerland's
Bell
Food Group has postponed its 2020 annual general meeting as a result of
the coronavirus outbreak. The meeting was scheduled for 17 March but has now
been put back to 12 May.
--
Tesco
starts rationing some product as panic-buying sets in
Tesco,
the UK's largest supermarket, has started rationing of certain products,
including some foodstuffs, to deter consumers fearing coronavirus-linked
shortages from stockpiling goods.
6
March
Coronavirus
sees FrieslandCampina trim growth forecast
The
coronavirus outbreak has led Netherlands-based dairy major FrieslandCampina
to reassess how much it sees its core sales growing in 2020.
5
March
Campbell
ups soup production in anticipation of stockpiling
US
food giant Campbell Soup Co. has said it is increasing the production of its
soup products in anticipation of coronavirus-linked stockpiling.
4
March
Seafood
Expo North America latest trade show to fall foul of Covid-19
Seafood
Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America is the second major US
trade show in as many days to be cancelled because of the outbreak of
coronavirus.
3
March
US
food share prices 'could benefit from coronavirus'
An
analyst covering the food industry has suggested that the coronavirus outbreak
could turn out to be a net positive for the sector's stocks.
--
US
trade show Expo West cancelled because of coronavirus
Expo
West, the US new products show, has been cancelled at the last minute as a precautionary
measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease.
28
February
High
Liner Foods reviewing China supply route
Canada-based
seafood firm High Liner Foods has said it has taken action to reduce
its reliance on Chinese supplies in light of the coronavirus which originated
in the country.
27
February
Nestle
asks staff not to embark on overseas travel
Switzerland-based
food giant Nestlé has asked staff not to embark on international business
travel due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has affected almost 50 countries.
--
Bakkavor
feels 'significant impact' from coronavirus in international business
Bakkavor said
the coronavirus outbreak in China is having a "significant impact" on
the private-label firm's international business after reporting a
"weak" performance in its domestic UK market, which generates the
majority of revenues.
--
Fonterra
maintains earnings forecast but coronavirus still a threat
New
Zealand's Fonterra said it could feel the impact of the coronavirus
outbreak in China on its foodservice division, but for the time being, the
world's largest dairy cooperative is maintaining its full-year earnings
guidance.
--
Danone
reveals sales impact forecast
Danone has
outlined how coronavirus might affect the French food and beverage giant's
sales performance in the first quarter.
26
February
Italy's
farmers' union warns of disruption
Italy's
food sector is at risk of major disruption from the outbreak of coronavirus in
the north of the country, national farmers' association Coldiretti has
warned.
24
February
Italy
food trade body warns of business impact
Italy's
food industry is monitoring the coronavirus cases in the country and the
reaction to the outbreak with "great apprehension", trade
association Federalimentare said today (24 February), warning of the
possible impact on the economy and to food exports.
--
Mexico's
Grupo Bimbo closes plant in China
The
coronavirus outbreak in China has forced Mexico-based bakery
behemoth Grupo Bimbo to temporarily close a plant in the city of
Wuhan, where the disease emerged late last year.
21
February
Chile's
salmon exports to China begin to pick up after coronavirus suspension
Salmon
farmers in Chile are starting to kick-start exports to China again after
suspending shipments amid a drop in demand linked to the coronavirus outbreak.
19
February
General
Mills' Haagen-Dazs operation in China hit by virus
US
food major General Mills risks seeing its sales decline in Greater
China after reporting almost half of its Häagen-Dazs ice-cream shops have been
temporarily closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
18
February
Kerry
Group guidance factors in potential impact of Covid-19
Kerry
Group has issued guidance for its new financial year that factors in a
potentially significant decline in earnings from the coronavirus outbreak in
China.
10
February
China
could look to overhaul meat industry in wake of outbreaks
A
report from a US investment bank has suggested that China may look to
restructure its meat industry following the outbreak of African swine
fever (ASF), avian flu and the more recent coronavirus.
5
February
Nestle
bans travel to and from China
Nestlé,
the world's largest food maker, has issued an update on how it has so far
reacted to the coronavirus outbreak in China.
Coronavirus
impact on China consumption 'to last months'
The
coronavirus outbreak in China will hit sales and profits in food-related
industries such as retail and entertainment for "several months", a
wide-ranging report from Moody's has warned.
3
February
Jatenergy
ups production of lactoferrin to meet coronavirus-linked demand
Australia's
Jatenergy is raising production of lactoferrin-based dairy products to meet
increased demand from China, which the company believes is linked to the
coronavirus outbreak.
30
January
Coronavirus
- two Mondelez China plants closed
Mondelez
International has been asked by Beijing to keep two of its plants shut
beyond the usual period of closures over Chinese New Year due to the
coronavirus outbreak.
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Sectors: Allergen-free, Baby food, Bakery, Cannabis, Canned food, Cereal, Chilled foods, Condiments,
dressings, sauces & spreads, Confectionery, Dairy, Dairy-free, Dried foods, Fresh produce,
Frozen, Ice Cream, Meat-free, Meat, poultry
& eggs, Organic,
Private label,
Seafood
and seafood alternatives, Snacks, Sports
nutrition, Vegetarian
& vegan
Themes: Advertising
& labelling, Disruptive tech,
E-commerce, Emerging markets,
Foodservice
strategy, Health
& wellness, M&A and
joint ventures
Companies: 2 Sisters
Food Group, A2
Milk Co., Adelie
Food Holdings, Agropur,
Aldi, Arla Foods, Aryzta, Asda, Associated
British Foods, Astral Foods,
Bakkavör, Bell Food
Group, Beston
Global Food Co., Beyond Meat, Bonduelle, BRF, Bubs Australia,
Butterball, Cal-Maine
Foods, Califia
Farms, Campbell
Soup Co., Cargill,
Cloetta, Coldiretti, Coles, Conagra Brands,
Costa Group,
Costco, Cranswick, Danish Crown,
Danone, Fazer Group, Ferrero, Findus Group,
Finsbury
Food Group, Flowers
Foods, Fonterra,
Food
and Drink Federation, Foster Farms,
FrieslandCampina,
G.
Willi-Food International, General Mills,
Glanbia, Greencore, Greenyard, Grupo Bimbo, Heinz, Hershey, High Liner
Foods, Hilton
Food Group, Hormel
Foods, Impossible
Foods, Inghams
Group, J&J
Snack Foods, J.M.
Smucker, JBS, Just, Kellogg, Kepak, Kerry Group, Kraft Heinz, The Kroger Co,
Lactalis, Lamb
Weston Holdings, Lancaster
Colony, LDC, Lindt &
Sprungli, Little
Dish, Loblaw
Companies Ltd, M. Dias Branco,
Maple Leaf
Foods, Marfrig
Global Foods, Mars,
McCain Foods,
McCormick &
Co., Mengniu
Dairy, Metcash,
Midsona, Mitsubishi
Corp., Mondelez
International, Morrisons,
Unternehmensgruppe
Theo Müller, Murray
River Organics, Nestle,
Nomad Foods,
Ocado, Olymel, Orior, Orkla, Parmalat, PepsiCo, Pilgrim’s Pride,
Post Holdings,
Premier
Foods plc, Premium
Brands Holdings, Princes,
Pringles, Raisio, RCL Foods, Real Good Food,
Rich
Products Corp., Sainsbury’s, Samworth
Brothers, Sanderson Farms,
Saputo, Scandi
Standard, Smithfield Foods,
Tönnies, Ter Beke, Tesco, Thai Union
Group, The
Meatless Farm Co., The
Simply Good Foods Co., Tiger Brands,
TreeHouse
Foods, Tyson
Foods, Unilever,
Vion Food
Group, Vitasoy
International Holdings, Waitrose, Weetabix, WH Group, Woolworths Ltd,
Wrigley, Yoplait
