News for the baking industry
Copenhagen / DK. (das) Danisco A/S has signed an agreement for the acquisition of the shares in Innovative Ingredients in Cape Town, South Africa. Innovative Ingredients is a bakery enzymes formulator, currently providing services to the South African bakery industry at an advanced technological level.
Harare / ZW. (wib) Police arrested 16 more business leaders in a crackdown on those suspected of violating the government´s order to slash prices by 50 percent, the official media reported this days. The mandated price cuts are a desperate attempt to confront inflation that has spun out of control during Zimbabwe´s economic crisis.
Miami / FL. (bkc / wib) Burger King Corporation announced that the company has begun the rollout of a trans fat free cooking oil to its restaurants in the United States. Two trans fat free oil blends have passed the company´s rigorous operational, supply and consumer criteria, allowing the company to begin the national rollout.
Dublin / OH. (wii) Wendy´s International Inc. announced preliminary same-store sales for the second quarter, which ended on July 01. Average same-store sales at U.S. company restaurants increased 0,7 percent for the period, while average same-store sales at U.S. franchise restaurants increased 0,4 percent.
London / UK. (wib) Sandwich chain Pret a Manger Limited plans to appoint bankers this autumn for a 500 to 700 million GBP initial public offering (IPO), The British Sunday Express reports citing an unnamed source. The paper added that Pret advisor NM Rothschild has told private equity firms that the chain could also be sold.
Jakarta / ID. (wib) Currently, «Rotiboy» franchise chain has nine stores in Malaysia, ten stores in Thailand, two in South Korea and more than 20 stores in Indonesia. The 1998 in Penang (Malaysia) established bakery maintains a special lifestyle.
Mumbai / IN. (wib) India´s coffee retailers are drawing up plans to expand overseas. While Cafe Coffee Day is targeting Europe to extend its reach, Barista Coffee Company is exploring opportunities in Africa and Southeast Asia.
St. Louis / MO. (wib) Panera Bread Company reports that revenue jumped 28 percent in the second quarter as its systemwide same-store sales climbed 2,3 percent for the four weeks ended June 26. In that period, company-owned bakery-cafe sales rose 2,1 percent and sales in franchise-operated units were up 2,4 percent.
London / UK. (wib) Pre-packed sandwiches may contain the same amount of salt as a Big Mac. A study, carried out by health lobby group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), suggests that many sandwiches bought at retail outlets contain more than a third of the day´s recommended salt intake.
Brussels / EU. (wib) The European Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation came with the beginning of July into force. That means, food companies will only be able to make claims about their nutritional or health benefits approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
