Global
Campbell to cut down on salt
Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB) - a global manufacturer
and marketer of high-quality simple meals, including soups,
baked snacks, vegetable-based beverages and premium
chocolate products - has planned to reduce sodium utilisation
in its soups and beverages. In this major initiative the company
would offer versions of its top-selling soups and reformulate
some of its existing soups and beverages with less sodium.
Commenting on this decision, Douglas R Conant, President
and CEO, Campbell, said, "Wellness is a critical component of
our corporate strategy and our portfolio is well-positioned to
meet consumer demand for convenient, high-quality, nutritious
food. The initiatives we have announced today represent a
breakthrough in our sodium reduction work and our commitment to offering consumers more
choices without asking them to compromise on great taste."
The company official revealed that the sodium reduction was achieved by incorporating a
unique, all-natural sea salt, which is lower in sodium than regular sea salt, into soup
formulations. He added that the new soup products would be available in retail stores in
August. Though the company's portfolio already includes a number of nutritious options,
whether people are watching calories, fat or want more vegetables in their diet, this new
offering is likely to enhance the product appeal to consumers and would represent an
important growth opportunity for Campbell.
.
Kit Kat to launch a new
variant in UK
Nestlé will reportedly step up its UK
chocolate confectionery battle with
Masterfoods by launching a new Kit Kat
Chunky Peanut Butter variant. Presently,
plans for a sampling drive of the new
variant are being finalised. This latest
variant follows others variants such as
mint, orange, lemon and yoghurt flavours.
Besides UK, Nestlé has been initiating new
product launches in other regions too. For
instance, it recently launched a Cherry Kit
Kat in Japan. However, the company
declined any plans to introduce the same
in the UK market.
Cadbury is world's largest
confectionery producer
Cadbury Schweppes has overtaken its
competitor Mars for the first time to
become the world's largest confectionery
producer with a 9.9 per cent world market
share. The confectionery giant posted its
biggest sales growth in over a decade and
attributed its success to the brand's growth
in new markets. The chocolate-to-drinks
giant claimed that the sale of its European
drinks business and a string of non-core
brands left it confident of a strong 2006.
The company behind Dairy Milk,
which has its UK base at Bournville, near
Birmingham, saw revenues grow at 6.3 per
cent to £6.51 billion in 2005. Underlying
pre-tax profits for the year rose 12 per cent
to £873 million. The UK revenues lifted by
only two per cent - though UK sales of the
premium Green & Blacks organic
chocolate range it bought in May 2005
improved by 49 per cent. According to
Todd Stitzer, Chief Executive, Cadbury
Schweppes, around 80 per cent of its sales
and profits were generated outside the UK,
with emerging markets accounting for 30
per cent of confectionery sales.
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