British officials hide fatal food poisoning outbreak

altIt has been revealed by British media that the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency, the Food Protection Agency, and other public health bodies involved in safe food standards, concealed an outbreak of E. coli that has caused at least one fatality and led to the hospitalisation of a further 250 people.

After media pressure, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) released details of the outbreak late last week.

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Tamara’s Thoughts: In the Zen zone

altHow would you rate your job satisfaction?

Have you learned something new this year, achieved your team’s goals, or created something you are proud of? Are you enjoying your work environment, or are you struggling with demanding and stroppy colleagues?

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Keith’s Take: Trusted and legitimate are not synonymous

altThis week's fuss over Australian television claims that Chinese vegetables are being shipped illicitly into Australia under cover of New Zealand brands, is a classic media beat-up.

Not only does it manage to appeal to parochial sentiment, it squeezes into the populist pulp recipe a soupçon of xenophobia, a dash of racism and a hearty splash of health scare, but there is also a solid measure of self righteous legitimacy added by New Zealand's response.

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Consumer food commodity tracker prices soar

The latest release of data from the Consumer commodity tracker shows that basic food prices in New Zealand continue to rise at a rapid pace.

Read more...
 


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Features

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A saucy affair

Exciting new sauces and condiments now mingle with iconic family favourites on our shelves. FMCG ...

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  • Winter warmers

    FMCG visited a popular aisle: Tea, coffee and hot beverages.Dilmah is relaunching its ‘Gourmet range’ of teas in New Zealand with new contemporary packaging to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

  • Best tressed

    New hair care products offer nourishment and a range of styling options. To find out what’s trending, FMCG talked to some of the key suppliers in New Zealand.

  • Sweet essentials

    Breakfast spreads, jams and honey remain popular with New Zealand consumers. FMCG investigated new developments and family favourites in the spreads aisle.New Zealand-based Barker’s produces both the Anathoth and Barker’s of Geraldine range of jams, marmalades and curds.THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to 24 March 2013 Total Spreads:  $131.626mValue % Chg vs YA 1.9T. Honey:  $35.715mValue % Chg vs YA 4.0T. Jam:  $29.410mValue % Chg vs YA -1.4T. Peanut Butter:  $28.060mValue % Chg vs YA 11.6T. Vegetable

  • Rice & Pasta

    FMCG finds a few tasty new product launches on the horizon.There is no doubt that rice, noodles and pasta are very popular staple foods, not only in New Zealand, but in many countries all over the world.THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to 24 March 2013 Total Rice:  $50.562mValue % Chg vs YA -2.1T. Instant:  $14.829mValue % Chg vs YA -5.4T. Basmati:  $8.791mValue % Chg vs YA 2.4T. Medium/Short:  $8.211mValue % Chg vs YA -2.1T. Long Grain:  $7.505mValue % Chg vs YA -12.4T. Jasmine:  $4.909mValue % Chg vs

  • Popular oils & spreads

    FMCG talked to suppliers in New Zealand about new product launches and the latest consumer trends.Oils and spreads are essential items for New Zealand shoppers. Many prefer to have a variety of oils for different recipes and cooking occasions on hand, with olive oils and rice bran oils increasing in popularity.THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to 24 March 2013 Total Butter and Margarine:  $198.188mValue % Chg vs YA -12.0T. Butter:  $92.232mValue % Chg vs YA -14.6T. Margarine (Excl Olive):  $68.473mValue

  • Energy drinks

    Refreshment, innovation and premiumisation are among the key drivers in a category that continues to grow.

  • Soup season

    THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to 24 February 2013Total Shelf Stable Soup:    $61.876mValue % Chg vs YA -1.5T. Canned Soup:    $25.505mValue % Chg vs YA -2.6T. Instant Soup:    $19.486mValue % Chg vs YA 3.3T. Packet Soup:    $10.478mValue % Chg vs YA -8.6T. Cereal Soup:    $4.083mValue % Chg vs YA -2.1T. Soup Mix & Pulses:    $2.325mValue % Chg vs YA 6.9T. Fresh Soup:    $14.345mValue % Chg vs YA 6.5 *Nielsen New Zealand ScanTrack (Databank Key suppliers in the soup category share their product news

  • Salty Snacks

    FMCG visited a highly promoted, popular aisle and talked to NZ suppliers about the latest consumer trends.

  • Petfood trends

    “Consumers are still willing to spend more on their pets in this tough market, if suppliers are willing to invest in their brands.”Oliver Downs, Petcare marketing manager, Mars NZ

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BWS

New World Wine Awards make a real difference

Entries are now open for the 2013 New World Wine Awards and top winemakers are ...

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  • Brancott Estate celebrates a “sensational” vintage

    Early predictions of an outstanding vintage have proven true for Brancott Estate, the pioneer of the original Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which has successfully completed harvest ahead of autumn rain, and with fruit that bears all the characteristics of the region.

  • Award-winning Mountain Goat arrives in NZ

    The Mountain Goat story started in the early 1990s when two regular Aussie blokes, Cam Hines and Dave Bonighton, shared a passion for craft beer.

  • A great year?

    The truth of regional wine is in the drinking, finds Keith Stewart.

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C-Store

NZ lolly maker on a roll

Kiwi-owned Rainbow Confectionery has expanded its production capacity with the purchase of Metford Confectionery (formerly ...

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  • Theft prevention: A practical guide to the best use of security cameras

    It is a sad fact of life that shoplifting costs stores millions of dollars every year. Reports suggest that stealing is becoming more common as the economy remains tight. One of the key defences against theft and a critical aid in prosecuting thieves is a security camera system. However, it is important that the security camera system is well thought out and correctly set up.

  • A fresh perspective

    Jeff Rogut, executive director AACS reports his findings from an overseas study tour.

  • Minimum wage debate

    Recent attacks miss the mark.Opposition politicians used a recent Parliamentary debate to label the Minimum Wage (Starting Out Wage) Amendment Bill “shocking”, “nasty”, “evil”, “tawdry”, “shameful”, “retrograde”, “embarrassing”, “unfair”, “discriminatory”, “Dickensian” and “abominable”.

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