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Victories / Boycotts / Campaigns
Ownership Changes - 2008

Internal News

Boycott's updated
Some companies have had their rating changed from a boycott to a cross : Mars, Bayer, Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive & Sara Lee
Companies new to the boycott list are Kimberly-Clark, Microsoft & Tata. Visit our boycott page

New website
Our website has been revamped and was relaunched on 14 September 2008

Visit our Updates page

Victories / Boycotts / Campaigns

Keep Australia GM Free campaign
For the first time, genetically modified (GM) food crops are being grown in Australia, posing potential risks to the environment and human health. However, there is currently no way for shoppers to ensure that their groceries are GM free, as labelling is not required for most products containing GM ingredients. Australians want GM food labelled for health, environmental and ethical reasons. Canola is used in many foods and in animal feed. NSW and Victoria are allowing GM canola to be commercially grown for the first time. [more]

Sign Greenpeace Australia's petition asking federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon to introduce labelling and safety testing for all food derived from GM crops.

Unilever palm oil breakthrough
Thanks to the staggering public support for Greenpeace's Dove campaign in April 2008, Unilever has now agreed to play their part in saving the Paradise Forests of South East Asia. As the biggest single buyer of palm oil in the world, Unilever has a special responsibility to help clean up the industry that's behind so much forest destruction. [source]

US boycott call on Kellogg
The Organic Consumers Association's (USA) and allies has called for a boycott of all Kellogg's products after Kellogg's refuses to source only GE-Free Sugar. Monsanto's RoundUp Ready Genetically Engineered Sugar is due to hit stores in late 2008, exposing millions of American consumers to untested and unlabeled "Franken Foods" that threaten human heath, the environment and farmers' rights everywhere. [source]

Ownership Changes - 2008

Heinz buys Golden Circle
Golden Circle, a 61 year-old Australian company renowned for their canned fruit and vegetables, fruit juice and jam, was bought by US food giant Heinz in Dec 2008, for $288 million. [source]

National Foods acquires Dairy Farmers for A$910 million
National Foods (owned by Japanese alcohol and pharmaceuticals giant Kirin) bought Australian Co-operative Foods, which trades as Dairy Farmers, for A$910 million in Nov 2008. Kirin bought National Foods last year, and already owns 46% of brewer Lion Nathan. National Foods owns the Pura Milk and Berri juice brands, while Dairy Farmers makes its own branded milk, Coon cheese and Ski yoghurt. [source]

Kellogg buys Specialty Cereals
In September 2008, Kellogg Australia bought Specialty Cereals, a privately-owned cereals manufacturer based in Sydney. Brands include Vogels, Wild Oats, and Cerevite. Kellogg Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kellogg Company, USA's #1 cereal producer. [source]

Orica to spin off it's consumer goods business
Orica is to divest it's consumer products division in Feb 2009, which comprise paint and garden care products and includes brands such as Dulux, Berger, British Paints, Selleys, Yates and Dynamic Lifter. The move allows Orica to become a pure mining services provider and capitalise on the resources boom. [source]

The Real McCoy Snackfood Co buys Arnotts snack foods
A consortium of investors lead by The Real McCoy Snackfood Co purchased the snack foods business of Campbells/Arnotts in May 2008. The combined businesses was renamed “Snack Brands Australia”. The deal brings several brands back to Australian ownership, including Kettle Chips, Thins, Cheezels, CCs, French Fries & Samboy. [source]

Cadbury Schweppes plc demerger
On May 7, Cadbury Scweppes plc split into 2 companies, UK based confectionery makers Cadbury plc, and American soft drink company Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. Australia is now the only country where Cadbury maintains a drinks operation. [source]

Mars Inc. buys Wrigley's
Mars, backed by billionaire Warren Buffett, has agreed to buy Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. for $US23 billion to create the world's biggest candy maker. [source]

Goodman Fielder buys Paradise Food
The largest Australian-owned biscuit manufacturer, Paradise Food Industries also make the entire Dick Smith range of biscuits. Paradise was bought by Australia's largest food company, Goodman Fielder, for about $80 million in Mar 2008. [source]

George Weston Foods buys KR Castlemaine
British owned George Weston Foods Ltd bought 100 year old Castlemaine smallgoods company KR Castlemaine [source]

Visit our Ownership Changes page