Food and Beverage

Any deal under which the UK exits the EU will push up prices, cutting the amount of fresh produce people buy, according to an academic study. A no-deal Brexit would […]

McDonald’s has never been a brand to miss out on any opportunity for promotion, and of course, the half-centennial anniversary of the world’s best-known burger is no exception. To commemorate […]

In our early June contribution, we warned of turning to negative too quickly. At the time, we expected a rally between mid June and late July / early August. That […]

Switzerland has banned crustacean cruelty, which means no boiling a lobster while it’s alive. On Wednesday the Swiss government announced the ban of boiling live lobsters without stunning them first, swissinfo reported.

By March 1, 2018, the government has ordained Swiss chefs will have to "stun" the crustaceans first before they drop them into the boiling hereafter. “Live crustaceans, including the lobster, may no longer be transported on ice or in ice water. Aquatic species must always be kept in their natural environment. Crustaceans must now be stunned before they are killed,” according to the new Swiss law.

Nestlé Chief Executive Officer Mark Schneider made his biggest acquisition yet, agreeing to buy Canadian dietary supplements maker Atrium Innovations for $2.3 billion in a bid for growth beyond stagnating mainstream food brands.

The world’s biggest food company is acquiring Westmount, Quebec-based Atrium from an investor group led by Permira Funds, Nestlé said in a statement Tuesday. The Swiss owner of Nespresso and Lean Cuisine is paying cash for the Garden of Life supplement maker, whose 2017 sales are expected to approach $700 million.

Nestlé is investing 54 million Swiss francs ($55 million) to construct a new factory in Cuba, which will employ 260 people by its third year, it said Wednesday.

The Swiss company said that the site will produce its coffee brand Nescafe, Cuban coffee Serrano, Nestle Fitness cereal snacks, powdered beverage Nesquick and Maggi-brand cooking aids.

Shares in Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. were falling slightly Wednesday after an analyst downgraded the stock, claiming excessive labor costs. Bank of American Merrill Lynch downgraded Chipotle and cut its earnings targets for 2018 and 2019, saying the struggling restaurant chain will have trouble cutting back labor costs any further than it already has.

Nestlé, the world’s largest food maker, reported an increase in real internal growth for the first nine months of the year but expects its trading operating profit margin to drop 40-60 basis points due to higher restructuring costs. The Swiss company said net divestments had a negative impact of 2.6% due to the creation of the Froneri joint venture.

The Swiss consumer giant said Thursday it struggled in its largest market, the U.S., where it is trying to sell its confectionery business. Elsewhere, its ability to raise prices was limited by weaker currencies in some emerging markets.