DAIRY
NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER
Content provided by Dairy Week
Sept.
11, 2008
Parmalat
Plans to Stay in
Australia
Reuters
3 September 2008; Just-food 3
September 2008
Parmalat has moved to quash rumours that it is
looking to sell its Australian dairy business, following its failed bid to buy
Dairy Farmers, reports Reuters. The
Australian dairy market is set for rationalisation following the sale of Dairy
Farmers to National Foods, meaning that Parmalat would need to expand to remain
competitive. However, a spokesperson for Parmalat told Reuters:
“Parmalat SpA has no current plans to divest its investment in
Australia
or to exit the Australian market” adding that the company was reviewing its
options and reviewing all areas of its business. In an interview with
Just-food, a spokesperson further confirmed: “We are not at all thinking
to come out of Australia just now…We will just wait and see how the new
equilibrium in the market develops.” Parmalat
Australia
has been in the country for 10 years and has approximately 350 suppliers in
Northern Queensland and around 160 in
Southern Victoria
. It processes milk under the brands Pauls, REV and Skinny and manufactures
Pauls cream and Vaalia yoghurt, Soy Life soy milk and UHT long life milk,
reports Reuters.
Full Reuters
story:
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSSYB00449920080903
New
Zealand’s Commodity Exports Prices Drop
Bloomberg.com/Tracy
Withers 3 September 2008
According to a report released by ANZ National
Bank Limited on 3 September 2008,
New Zealand
’s commodity export prices fell in August by their biggest margin in seven
years, reports Bloomberg.com. The
commodity price drop was reportedly led by dairy products and aluminium. Prices
for dairy products fell 7.5% from July 2008, a price 15% below that in August
2007. However dairy product prices were still 87% higher than that in August
2006. ANZ Chief Economist, Cameron Bagrie said commodity prices have risen by
41% in the past two years, boosting farmer incomes and exports which account for
30% of
New Zealand
’s NZ$105 billion economy. However a strengthening US dollar coupled with a
slowing world economy is leading to commodity prices coming under pressure,
reports Bloomberg.com. A spokesperson
for Fonterra said whole milk powder prices also dropped in September following
the last round of trading on globalDairyTrade, its internet auction site.
Full story:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSDQSQHZdfIg#
Study
Supports Milk Proteins for Reducing Blood Pressure
FoodNavigator-usa.com/Stephen
Daniells 8 September 2008
Meta-analysis from
China
has shown that peptides from milk may reduce blood pressure. Researchers
studied the impact milk-derived isoleucine-proline-proline (“IPP”) and
valine-proline-proline (“VPP”) had on blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and
hypertensive people, reports FoodNavigator-usa.com.
As reported in the journal Nutrition,
the study showed that IPP and VPP were associated with a 4.8 mmHg reduction in
systolic blood pressure as well as a 2.2 mmHg drop in diastolic blood pressure.
The results of the study support the few milk-derived ingredients currently on
the market that purport to improve cardiovascular health, reports FoodNavigator-usa.com.
Full story:
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/NutraIngredients/Research/Meta-analysis-supports-milk-proteins-for-blood-pressure-improvements/?c=xaxQPussIa89SalyEDh%2F4Q%3D%3D
Higher
Milk Prices for Consumers in
Japan
Agra
Informa Limited 9 September 2008
Increasing feed costs and an increasing amount of
dairy farmers quitting the business has led to lower supplies from farms and
consequently Japanese consumers are soon to face increases in the price of fresh
milk, reports Agra Informa Limited.
The price of milk in
Japan
rose by ¥3 in August 2008, which consequently pushed the prices up for cheese
and butter as well.
Full story:
http://www.agra-net.com
