Simon Harvey, Just-Food Journalist Profile

Articles

India cuts import taxes on crude cooking oils

5 days ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

India has lowered the import tax on crude cooking oils such as sunflower in a move welcomed by the local industry association. The country’s finance ministry has cut the import tax from 20% to 10% for crude sunflower and by the same percentile for crude palm and soy bean oils. When the so-called agri-cess tax of 5% and the social welfare cess duty are applied the effective import tax rate now stands at 16.5% for all three oils.
Hormel Foods confident of sales growth acceleration in back half

1 week ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

Hormel Foods expects second-half growth to accelerate although guidance for sales and EPS was tweaked to reflect the macroenvironment. “We anticipate strong second-half growth,” president and CEO James Snee told analysts yesterday (29 May) after reporting organic sales increased 1% in the first six months of the year to $5.9bn. “While the macroenvironment is ever-changing, our strategy is consistent and clear.
Trump tariffs effectively reinstated as President succeeds in court appeal

1 week ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

Appeals judges in the US have effectively reinstated Trump’s import tariffs following a ruling by the US Court of International Trade on Wednesday (28 May) that the taxes were “invalid”.
General Mills initiates “transformation” programme with embedded costs

1 week ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

General Mills has revealed a “global transformation” programme that will incur costs of around $130m as the US food major seeks to boost productivity. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday (27 May), the Blue Buffalo pet food and Cheerios cereals brand owner said the “multi-year” plan was approved by management on 20 May. It is “intended to drive increased productivity by enhancing end-to-end business processes, enabled by targeted organisational actions”.
Japan’s Kewpie boots up condiments capacity with second US plant

2 weeks ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

Japan’s Kewpie has increased US production capacity for mayonnaise and dressings with a second manufacturing facility for its local business unit. Subsidiary Q&B Foods has started production at the 15,000 square-meter site in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee. It sits on an 80,000 square-meter plot of land with a potential annual output of 60,000 tonnes of mayonnaise and salad dressings, according to a statement.
Junk food advert ban delayed again but with UK government caveats

2 weeks ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

The UK government has pushed back advertising restrictions on “less healthy foods” to January but still “expects” the previous October deadline to be honoured. Adopting the less healthy foods terminology from the more common definition of foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS), the Labour administration confirmed today (22 May) that it has initiated the delay based on industry feedback.
Greencore tests CMA mettle in takeover bid for Bakkavor

2 weeks ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

The big question for Greencore is whether the UK’s competition regulator will seek to block its takeover of Bakkavor, which would create a dominant player in the country’s private-label food-to-go and convenience categories.
Nestlé to ditch controversial Nutri-Score labels on Swiss products

2 weeks ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

Nestlé plans to remove Nutri-Score labels from products the company sells exclusively in Switzerland. The world’s largest food company, which claims to have “pioneered the adoption” of the nutrition front-of-pack labels in 2019, will continue to use Nutri-Score in other European countries. Nestlé’s decision covers chocolate brands Cailler and Chokito, Thomy mayonnaise, Leisi pastry, Incarom coffee and drinks brands Nestea, Henniez and Romanette.
UK meat group Cranswick snaps up sausage supplier Blakemans

2 weeks ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

Cranswick, one of the UK’s largest meat groups, has struck a deal to buy foodservice sausage supplier Blakemans for £32m ($42.8m). London-listed Cranswick, a producer of pork, poultry and convenience meat products for major UK grocers, revealed the purchase in its annual results statement today (20 May). Cranswick said Blakemans operates out of a factory in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and employs around 290 people at the site.
Marfrig proposes to merge with Brazil meat rival BRF

3 weeks ago | just-food.com | Simon Harvey

Marfrig Global Foods and BRF have proposed a plan to merge, which would create a rival to fellow Brazil meat giant JBS but with much lower revenues. In a joint statement today (16 May), the two companies said separate board meetings would be convened on 18 June to “deliberate on the merger”, and if approved, Marfrig would become MBRF Global Foods Company.