Latest news with #LaughingCow
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Companies pause packaged food price hikes as input costs stabilise
New Delhi: Makers of grocery staples such as snacks, biscuits and tea have paused price hikes after three back-to-back quarters of 5-10% increases across pack sizes, as key commodity prices like palm oil and wheat stabilise. Executives at companies such as Britannia, Wipro Consumer, Parle Products and Bikaji Foods said they are pausing price increases. Some said they are also bringing back selective consumer promotions to boost sales even as urban demand remains under stress, their executives said. "(While) we see no price reduction or grammage increase in the next couple of quarters, there will be no more price increases for sure," Varun Berry, managing director of Britannia Industries , told ET. While the maker of Nutrichoice biscuits and Laughing Cow cheese did some strategic buying of wheat and flour, most of its commodities are priced at the same level as at the end of FY25, he said. "Flour is just slightly lower than the exit price of last year despite the wheat season," he added. Deepak Agarwal, MD, Bikaji Foods, too, said the snacks firm would not increase prices as some inflation is under control and raw material costs are reducing. "Selective consumer offerings and promotions will be reintroduced to get better market share and momentum," he added. Companies making daily essentials and grocery products had been increasing prices by 5-10% on higher raw material costs while maintaining that they withheld some of the cost pressures amid stagnating sales in cities. With food inflation expected to remain low, company executives expect their retail prices to remain steady. "Core inflation will likely remain range-bound, led by weaker commodity prices, softer growth and a stronger rupee," HSBC Research said in a report released on Monday. This, it said, is a relief for consumers and "may fuel the purchasing power of households." Anil Chugh, president, food business, at Wipro Consumer Care , said the overall food inflation is expected to remain in the region of 3-4% in the coming two quarters. "This is because of commodity prices stabilising, expected good monsoon and companies taking cautious approach to price increases," he said. Wipro Consumer Care makes Nirapara ready-to-cook foods and Granamma snacks. "For 3 quarters, prices were increasing," said Mayank Shah, vice president at Parle Products. "Now the hikes have been paused as some commodities are stable. Some key commodities are still higher than a year ago, but what's happened is that the rate of inflation has come down for now." The food inflation rate dropped to 1.78% year-on-year in April 2025, compared to a year-on-year Consumer Food Price Index of 10.87% in October 2024, according to government data. "Going forward, we expect tea pricing/ tea costs to soften rather than pricing going up (if the tea crop is normal). So, therefore, margins will come back," Sunil D'Souza, managing director, Tata Consumer Products , said in a quarter four post earnings call. NielsenIQ in its January-March quarter update earlier this month had said the FMCG industry grew 11% year-on-year by value, driven by a 5.6% price hike. Growth of packaged foods slowed to 4.9% in the January-March quarter compared to 6% in the fourth quarter of 2024, which the report attributed to declining lower volumes in edible oils and palm oil, impacted by higher prices. The past three quarters had seen surging prices of wheat (which increased 17.4% year-on-year in the March quarter), palm oil (17.2%) and cocoa (78%).
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Companies pause packaged food price hikes as input costs stabilise
New Delhi: Makers of grocery staples such as snacks, biscuits and tea have paused price hikes after three back-to-back quarters of 5-10% increases across pack sizes, as key commodity prices like palm oil and wheat stabilise. Executives at companies such as Britannia, Wipro Consumer, Parle Products and Bikaji Foods said they are pausing price increases. Some said they are also bringing back selective consumer promotions to boost sales even as urban demand remains under stress, their executives said. "(While) we see no price reduction or grammage increase in the next couple of quarters, there will be no more price increases for sure," Varun Berry, managing director of Britannia Industries , told ET. While the maker of Nutrichoice biscuits and Laughing Cow cheese did some strategic buying of wheat and flour, most of its commodities are priced at the same level as at the end of FY25, he said. "Flour is just slightly lower than the exit price of last year despite the wheat season," he added. Deepak Agarwal, MD, Bikaji Foods, too, said the snacks firm would not increase prices as some inflation is under control and raw material costs are reducing. "Selective consumer offerings and promotions will be reintroduced to get better market share and momentum," he added. Companies making daily essentials and grocery products had been increasing prices by 5-10% on higher raw material costs while maintaining that they withheld some of the cost pressures amid stagnating sales in cities. With food inflation expected to remain low, company executives expect their retail prices to remain steady. "Core inflation will likely remain range-bound, led by weaker commodity prices, softer growth and a stronger rupee," HSBC Research said in a report released on Monday. This, it said, is a relief for consumers and "may fuel the purchasing power of households." Anil Chugh, president, food business, at Wipro Consumer Care , said the overall food inflation is expected to remain in the region of 3-4% in the coming two quarters. "This is because of commodity prices stabilising, expected good monsoon and companies taking cautious approach to price increases," he said. Wipro Consumer Care makes Nirapara ready-to-cook foods and Granamma snacks. "For 3 quarters, prices were increasing," said Mayank Shah, vice president at Parle Products. "Now the hikes have been paused as some commodities are stable. Some key commodities are still higher than a year ago, but what's happened is that the rate of inflation has come down for now." The food inflation rate dropped to 1.78% year-on-year in April 2025, compared to a year-on-year Consumer Food Price Index of 10.87% in October 2024, according to government data. "Going forward, we expect tea pricing/ tea costs to soften rather than pricing going up (if the tea crop is normal). So, therefore, margins will come back," Sunil D'Souza, managing director, Tata Consumer Products , said in a quarter four post earnings call. NielsenIQ in its January-March quarter update earlier this month had said the FMCG industry grew 11% year-on-year by value, driven by a 5.6% price hike. Growth of packaged foods slowed to 4.9% in the January-March quarter compared to 6% in the fourth quarter of 2024, which the report attributed to declining lower volumes in edible oils and palm oil, impacted by higher prices. The past three quarters had seen surging prices of wheat (which increased 17.4% year-on-year in the March quarter), palm oil (17.2%) and cocoa (78%).
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
An Asparagus Salad That Captures Its Sultry Side
During spring vacation, I went on a hike with my children through the hills around my mother's house near Jerusalem. We took with us a little picnic: cucumber and pepper sticks, pomelo segments, pitas spread with the Laughing Cow cheese, which I have deliberately kept them in the dark about for years in hope that they first get hooked on more 'sophisticated' cheeses. As I feared, the cow was a hit, quickly leading their league of favorites (sorry, Parmigiano-Reggiano, feta and the most recent titleholder, Cheddar). Despite my small disappointment, it was a moment of rare intimacy, one I wanted to treasure. So when my 9-year-old, after an hour of generously handing out superpowers, claimed to have the power to give me any device I could imagine, I asked for a machine that could take me right back to my favorite times. I imagined something like a personalized playlist or my children's cheese league — a catalog of my Top 100 moments — where I could be seamlessly transported.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Large state tax breaks awarded to 2 projects
This story has been updated with a comment from a spokesperson for Antora. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — An international cheesemaker and a thermal-battery manufacturer should have the state taxes owed on their new South Dakota projects reduced by millions of dollars, a governor-appointed group has decided. The South Dakota Economic Development Board on Wednesday approved reinvestment payments for Bel Brands USA, which is expanding its Brookings plant, and Big Stone Energy Storage Project, a subsidiary of Antora Energy. Bel Brands USA plans to double capacity at the company's Brookings facility, which exclusively produces BabyBels. The company produces at other locations a variety of product lines such as Laughing Cow, Merkts and Kaukauna. Documents shed light on pair of shootings & wounded officer The state board awarded Bel Brands a reinvestment payment of $2,566,012, but not to exceed 50% of the amount of the actual state sales and use tax paid on eligible project costs up to $196 million. Big Stone Energy Storage meanwhile was awarded a reinvestment payment of $3,386,040, but not to exceed 50% of the amount of the actual state sale and use tax paid on eligible project costs up to $209.7 million. Its California-based parent Antora manufactures thermal batteries that can be used to store electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar and natural gas. Northeastern South Dakota, where the project will be located, is a large producer of wind power. An Antora spokesperson told KELOLAND News, 'Antora is pursuing a proposed energy storage project in South Dakota that presents the opportunity to enhance local economic development and low-cost, local energy use. The company looks forward to sharing more as project plans progress.' The state board also granted a reinvestment payment to Dakota Line Energy of $250,682 but not to exceed 50% of the amount of the actual state sales and use tax paid on eligible project costs up to $13,400,105. The sales-tax reductions for the three projects came one day after the state Bureau of Finance and Management reported that most revenues including sales tax were flowing into the state government's general fund at lower amounts than the Legislature's revised estimates for the 2025 fiscal year that ends June 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
